


Repairing What's Broken

by AnxietyAardvark



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, F/M, I need help with tags, Kagome's gonna be kickass, Past Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:48:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 58,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26673916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnxietyAardvark/pseuds/AnxietyAardvark
Summary: Kagome Higurashi's life has been one of constant loss and setbacks. She has finally pieced her life back together after years of struggle, and is getting the help she needs to recover and live her life with peace. However, her life is about to be disrupted one more time, and in a huge way.Inuyasha Taisho and his father have been watching Kagome for some time, tracking her movements, watching where she goes and with whom. Why is Inuyasha so interested in her? And when it’s revealed that he’s a youkai, do his reasons even matter? Will he be able to convince Kagome and her family that she is in grave danger, and needs protection? Would he be able to stay away from her, even if she didn’t?
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha)
Comments: 56
Kudos: 113





	1. First Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> Hi y'all! Aardvark here! 
> 
> Disclaimer: *I don't own Inuyasha and I don't get anything for writing this**
> 
> This is my first work of fanfiction ever so please be gentle! I'm planning on making it a decent length so please bear with me :) and feel free to leave reviews!

TACKTACKTACKTACK…. TACKTACKTACKTACK… TACKTACKTACKTACK…

It was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the repeated thrumming of fingers over the keyboard across the couch from her. Gripping her coffee with one hand trying her best to hide the irritation threatening to spread across her face, Sango took a deep breath and set down her book onto the small wooden coffee table to her left.

 _Breathe, Sango. Inhale. Exhale. In-_ TACKTACKTACKTACK

Arching an eyebrow she watched her best friend and roommate Kagome sit cross-legged in a white tank top with black shorts. Her pink laptop positioned over her knees with a heavy mathematics textbook positioned between her legs, its spine leaning against the keyboard as she flipped between a couple of pages repeatedly.

A stressed whine breaks the comfortable silence that had lulled between the tenants of the modest two-bedroom apartment, Sangos eyes targeted back to her friend. Kagome had her hands on her face, simultaneously pulling down and stretching her features.

“Kagome, I really think you should take a break and breathe.”

Onyx hair with scattered bangs haphazardly scooped into a messy bun and furrowed brows were all that were visible over the edge of the laptop across from Sango. Stretching her upper body up off of the opposite arm of the long grey couch, she could see Kagome’s blue-grey eyes flicking between pages on the web browser trying to find a video, a presentation, anything to help her at this point. “Hello? Earth to Kaaaaa-gome?” Unfurling her long toned legs she reached out and poked Kagome’s shin with her toes.

“HOW. How do they expect one person to do ALL of this?” Kagome cried out, both in frustration and defeat as she stared at her math homework seemingly unable to understand the equations sprawled across the page. She was the type to get a head start on all of her work in case there was trouble understanding the arithmetic, while typically she didn’t have a problem doing so this next chapter was an alien language.

Furiously flipping through the notebook sitting on the arm of the couch in an attempt to find any semblance of recognition on the webpage before her, she gave into Sango’s idea and let out a hefty sigh.

“Some professors just want to watch the world burn… Do they even think of their students? What they’re doing to them?” Kagome questioned aloud before smacking the back of the couch with a fist, gently shaking the small oddly marked Siamese cat sleeping atop the cushions. Sango snorted quietly while lifting the pink coffee cup back up to her lips once again grabbed her assigned reading book.

It was late afternoon Sunday which meant the dreaded catch-up day of the weekend. Both of the young women had put off their homework in lieu of relaxing for two days after the wave of midterms finally subsided. It had taken them most of the day to complete all of the work Tokyo University had thrown their way, and though they expected it, it didn’t make their work any less difficult. Senior life had settled on the pair before they knew it.

_Maybe I deserve a break.._ Kagome gleaned as she reached to pet the adorable cat perched atop the cushion, gently rubbing both of her ears.

Kirara meowed half-awake, opening her large blue eyes with obvious discontent at the sudden movement of Kagome's hands over her head before leaning into her palms, gently shaking the ornate bell around the cat’s neck. She had often thought that the cat’s bell looked old, maybe ancient, yet the bright undamaged sheen of the small ornate gold bell quickly dismissed those thoughts.

Tiny Kanji encompassed the bell’s surface and Kagome wondered how someone could have engraved the lettering so cleanly while being so small, rolling the bell around her fingertips as she scratched Kirara’s chin. A faint shimmer around the cat’s small body made Kagome rub her eyes and she attributed it to staring at a screen for far too long.

It took a moment for Kagome to shake her head, decompress and stretch her arms above her head before she slammed her laptop shut, placing her notebook and textbook on top before plopping them onto the coffee table.

“Hey what do you think about getting take out tonight?” Kagome chirped while quickly padding into the kitchen directly heading to the drawer full of takeout menus and coupons.

“Can’t. Got a date tonight” Sango grinned, raising her eyebrows up and down while Kagome skimmed the menu of a new restaurant down the block from the apartment complex. UTokyo was only a 15-20 minute walk from their apartment which meant a plethora of meal options and while the rent wasn’t exactly reasonable, it was within their combined budget.

“Whos’ heart are you ripping this time? Be sure they pay for your meal before the killing blow” Eyeing Sango with an eyebrow cocked up before she winked.

“Hey—They asked me for the past two weeks with multiple rejections for me to finally say yes. I’m doing this so he’ll finally get off of my back, even if he is ridiculously hot.” Sango’s eyes glazed over for a moment before shaking herself excitedly with a grin. “I deserve a good stress relief. I’m ok with a good workout or a good fight depending on how the night goes!”

Kagome rolled her eyes, snaking her hand into her back pocket for her phone, quickly placing a call to the new ramen restaurant down the street. “Yes, gyoza, an order of beef ramen and one oden please! Thank you.. Hm? Delivery?” She glanced down at her shorts and tank top before nodding despite herself, the person on the phone couldn’t see her. Sango quickly giving her a questioning look before the girl on the phone scrunched up her lip and stuck her tongue out at her. “Yes please!” She named off the address of the small apartment located in Akihabara.

Sango slinked off of the couch with one fluid motion and stretched, her magenta crop top and black leggings framing her well-defined abdominal muscles. “I’m going to go get ready” With a smile, she stepped into her bedroom.

Kagome's eyes flicked to Kirara on the couch, wondering just how much Sango picked up the little cat’s behavior. “This is going to be a long 30-minute wait..” Minutes come and go.. 35.. 40.. 45.

A famished Kagome is leaned across the dining table, forehead to the tabletop with her hair sprawled around her. Sango stepped out of her room dressed in a dazzling purple mini dress and black pumps. Her hair was pulled up into a high braid with a matching purple elegant bow. Completing the look. purple eyeshadow with sparkling clear lipgloss paired beautifully with her complex cinnamon eyes and fair complexion.

“Text me if you need anything and I’ll rush straight home.” Sango’s excited tone faltering into a more serious one by the end of the statement. Kagome was a magnet of having bad things happen to her, whether they were her fault or not. 

Breaking her ankle tripping over the tatami of their shared childhood home, her car battery dying on stormy nights in less than ideal locations (prompting a trip to the mechanic and numerous costly repairs), spraining her thumb from a hefty library book dropping off of a precariously high shelf, and that was only the last 3 years of their long friendship. Kagome had moved in with her when she was 6 years old after an accident at the Shrine the Higurashi’s had owned for years left her an orphan. The Takahashi’s welcomed her with open arms and formally adopted her, even helping her with college.

Not to mention her not so list of previous suitors that.. didn’t _suit_ her. Either possessive or relentless in their attempts to woo the innocent girl had Sango tracking more than one down and threatening them to drop the target of their affection before Kagome became uncomfortable. She was too scared to tell them herself. Not after what Bankotsu tried to do to her. Sango was more than willing to protect her from everything after that night.

She would never forget the sight of Kagome’s broken frame on the floor of the shower.

_Sango tentatively opened the bathroom door and stuck her head inside the bathroom after calling her adopted sister’s name repeatedly when she had gotten home from the family dojo. It was freshman year of high school and she had been away from home more than she liked to practice for the Judo tournament. Kagome laid there, frantically yet mindlessly scrubbing the spots where **he** had gripped her body until there was little skin left raw and weeping. White tile had become swirled with crimson as it circled the drain. Her left eye was swollen and bloodied with an accompanied darkened black bruise over her cheekbone, scattering across her face and along her neck. The massive laceration on her lower lip spread down onto her chin like a crimson lightning strike. “KAGOME!” Sango screamed as she grabbed ahold of her friend’s bloodied body scrub to stop the damage. Tears welled while she cried silently as Kagome sat there, her eyes staring far beyond the tile below her. A faint touch on her shoulder sent Kagome flinching back, screaming before her eyes acknowledged her best friend’s form and the girl’s mind snapped back into the present. The light behind her eyes nearly extinguished. “S-sango?” _

Sango’s nails dug into her palm and a dangerous scowl erupted from her lips at the thought of that **absolute** **_piece of shit_**. If she ever found him again not even God could stop her, no one would find his body. He had a few charges pressed against him but being rich its like the laws didn’t apply with his egregiously expensive lawyers his father had set up for him. Kagome had recovered quickly though she still has some faint scars from the bathroom incident, and years of therapy had slowly stitched together her fractured psyche. **Never. Again.**

“…Sango? What time are you going to be back?” Kagome questioned lifting her head off of the table with a hunger pained expression. She hadn’t eaten much during the day since she had been busy studying, and her energy was fading fast. Sangos eyes softened knowing the fatigued tone in Kagome’s voice.

She whipped around quickly with a false smile “Sorry! I was just thinking of all the stuff I had to do after the date. The life of a kinesiology major. I’ll be back in a few hours.” She leaned down and kissed the top of Kagome’s head before opening the multiple locks placed on their front door.

A few rough knocks rasped the door a few minutes later, and Kagome excitedly leaped to her feet, pulling on a light zip-up hoodie off of the coat rack next to the front door. As she reached for the knob she heard someone outside, curious she peered through the peephole.

A tall dark brown-haired man with violet eyes stood holding a tied bag of food, an impatient look on his face as he checked the small golden watch on his wrist. “Seriously. You could have done this yourself. I’m going to be late for my date with my soulmate.” He had in dressed a black suit paired with a purple shirt that showed off his toned figure admittedly well.

“Shut it Miroku, you and I both know I’d just keep the food. You’re the one with a conscience here.” The tall impossibly black-haired man next to him scoffed, his arms crossed across his chest. His black hair cascaded down his back near his waist. _God its gorgeous..._ Wearing low black denim jeans with a red hoodie, his black athletic shoes completed the look. A necklace of dark blue beads with white fangs giving a faint dizzying aura as she peered through the hole. His whole body gave the faintest vertigo sensation before her eyes. _Man. I really need to eat._

“Ah yes, how could I forget.” Miroku deadpanned, glaring at the second man. _If looks could kill.._ Kagome mused before bracing herself, her left hand reaching for the baseball bat behind the door as she opened it. She didn’t catch the tall long-haired man inhale deeply as the door slowly opened.

“Hi! Your food got delivered to the wrong apartment! My name is Miroku. We’re on the floor above you, and while my friend here accepted the food we noticed he had gotten the wrong apartment. 401 isn’t 301.” He grinned wide and reached the food bag towards her.

“How lucky am I to meet a gorgeous girl like you? Seems to me we were fated to meet.” _Ahhh. Tactful.. Kagome internally rolled her eyes._

“Oh. Tha-“ Kagome started, Her right hand reaching out to grab the white plastic bag. Her fingers brushing against his as she gripped it. When her eyes met Miroku’s she acknowledged the mischievous look in his, the 22-year old’s anxiety starting to coil tightly into her chest. She didn’t like contact with strangers.

The man next to him quickly shoved his elbow into Miroku’s side with a glare. “Sorry, Miroku is a fucking rambling idiot. There’s your food, have a good night.” A quick nod in her direction and he quickly gripped his friend's arm with white knuckles as he dragged the well-dressed man away from the door to the stairs.

“Okay?” Kagome responded after they were out of eyesight, and she felt the coil around her chest release. Quickly closing the door and locking each lock with determination she ripped into the bag and dug into her food before climbing into her western-style bed for a nap. She would most likely wake to Sango returning home from her date to hear all about how her adventure went.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

_I could do it. I could kill him this time and no one would know any wiser.._ Inuyasha pondered before shoving his friend forward into the stairwell. “Just how dumb are you? Could you not see how uncomfortable she was? You really want to fuck up our assignment this early?”

He thought back to how meekly she had looked opening the door, her tiny frame encompassed by the hoodie that shrouded her figures. The woman looked had looked tired with her hair lazily in a bun, shiny black locks surrounding her face. He could smell the fear and absolute dread of opening the door he had presumed was because there were two men in front of it. Instantly he hated how her natural scent of cherry blossom and clean linens was drowned by fear far beyond warranting opening a door for food. The way her eyes slightly widened in panic focused on Miroku’s hand as he passed the food was all it took for him give a swift stab of his elbow into his partner’s side to let him know they needed to get out of there. 

“Not all of us have super senses you know! She looked fine to me, how was I supposed to know?” Miroku replied, brushing his arm off of Inuyasha’s grip.

Inuyasha grit his teeth and pulled his hair into a ponytail at the base of his neck with a black leather strap. “Feh. Did you at least get to confirm she’s who we’re supposed to be watching?”

Miroku rubbed his eyebrows with his left hand as he postured against the railing of the stairs. “Yeah. She’s definitely got some sort of abilities, that’s for sure. I don’t think she knows what she is by the way our auras responded to each other, she didn’t feel a thing. Zero reaction. It’s like it's sealed somehow”

“You keep watch for a few hours, I’m going to go see if my soulmate is still interested in our date. You behave yourself now.. I know you’re potty trained but please keep from marking the new apartment?” A devilish grin spread across his face as the raven-haired man started up the stairs, 2-3 steps at a time while keeping his arm extended with his hand flipping Miroku off.

"I hope she beats your ass Miroku." 


	2. After the Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much Fawn_Eyed_Girl, Karina, and Inussunflower for reading the mess of my rough drafts and helping with edits! I don't know what I'd do without y'all <3

Kagomes eyes drowsily stirred open to a dark sky, and instantly her entire body flailed in panic. Had she slept through the night? Was it early early Monday morning? Her hands searched for her phone, locating it next to her pillow and she pressed a side button to light up the screen, her eyes involuntarily squinting at the light screaming into her retinas. 10 PM.  _ Oh shit.. A longer nap than I intended. _

Placing her hands on the mattress she heaved upward, her body leaning against the dresser across from her bed. She turned on the small plain lamp resting on the dresser and looked into the large mirror placed atop it. Her blue eyes were glossy from sleep, hair wild and lightly knotted from movement. She studied her reflection for a moment, an average girl with average looks stared back at her with fatigued cerulean eyes, and her gaze hovered over the faint scars across her chest and wrists. It had taken many a therapy’ sessions to control her mind enough not to have flashbacks to what happened to  her whenever she looked at her body. She had once been so proud of it... she'd played volleyball regularly, often went swimming with friends, and archery had once been her pride and joy. She had actually been good at them, her physique reflecting the effort she put into her hobbies. She had gotten used to it, but she still had difficulty looking at her scars. 

Her fingers weaved through the midnight waves absent-mindedly before pulling her hair up into a high ponytail for another attempt at a study session. Kagome knew full well that she had taken too long of a nap to go back to sleep any time soon. Her mind drifted to the long-haired man in the hallway that she never caught the name of. He seemed so reserved, and she couldn’t get a good read on him, not that she was an expert on the male behavior in the slightest. Miroku just seemed like the typical over the top friendly guy who would leap at the chance to wiggle his way into your pants, but the other guy seemed so gruff and hesitant to even speak. Taking a deep breath and blowing raspberries with her exhale, her eyebrows raised together. _I wouldn’t mind raking my fingers through his beautiful hair though…_

A deep blush spread across her cheeks as she realized what had slipped out of her subconscious and Kagomes body felt hot with embarrassment.

_ You don’t even KNOW him, what the fuck? _ Her facial features enunciating each word in her thoughts, though it was nice for once that she was the one who was attracted to another person. It had been a  **whiiiiiiiiiile** . Her therapist would be screaming in delight at their next session. Vigorously shaking her head she stepped out of her bedroom to see if Sango had been home from her date yet.

“Ah! Beautiful Kagome! I was wondering if you were coming out!” a male voice called from the couch, and her step hitched as she turned her head to see the man that had just been at her door a few hours earlier giving her a two-finger wave.

A shrill scream erupted through the air and Kagome’s hand clutched her chest. She was stuck, the shock of seeing the stranger in her house short-circuiting her brain before she could think of something to respond with. Panic quickly rose through her chest and internally screaming. How had he gotten into her apartment? Didn’t she lock the door? She had locked it right? Why did he appear so comfortable on the couch? Had he fucking watched her sleep? Her rescue anti-anxiety meds were tucked safely in her purse though it didn’t mean she kept a couple stashed around the apartment for when a panic attack would leave her debilitated onto the floor. They had come few and far between in the last couple years but Kagome knew that they could creep seemingly out of nowhere. Though this one was crashing into her mind.

“You know Miroku already?” Sango's head appeared leaning out from her bedroom now comfortably dressed in a maroon sweater with black leggings. Her hair in its signature high ponytail and her makeup as perfect as she had left with. “Kagome? I invited him over for a minute to give him some paperwork for the dojo. You’re good, count to 10 Kags. I didn’t think you’d be awake.” Her eyes focused at her sister clearly having a mental battle with herself, seeing the muscles tighten in her neck with each increasingly frantic breath. Guilt reverberated through her body as she thought back regretfully that he should have waited in the hallway.

“10… “ Kagome breathed, closing her eyes and slowly inhaling, holding, and exhaling.

“Oh.. I’m so sorry Kagome I had no idea I would scare you.” Miroku said with a defeated expression on his face, he really hadn’t meant to. He thought back to what his hanyou partner had mentioned and silently cursed himself.  _ There goes our easy way of getting close to her.. _

Once she had collected herself and found her voice, albeit irritated, “Why are you here?”

“Sango invited me in quickly to grab some paperwork for classes at her family’s dojo. My roommate and I recently moved into the area. While I don’t usually partake in tournament style sports my roommate InuYasha practically lives to beat people up. Pretty sure he gets off while boxing.” Miroku shrugged his shoulders and looked around the small apartment. The floor he shared had bigger spaces, thankfully for him, theirs was 2-3 times larger than their quaint living space.

“Is InuYasha the guy who wanted to keep my food? Sorry I freaked out.. i-it is a pleasure to meet you again Miroku” Kagome said, slightly bowing towards him as she padded into the kitchen with determination to eat her leftovers. “He made it sound like he approved of my choices?”

Miroku nodded. “If it were possible, there would be beef ramen in or around his mouth at all times.” A smirk pulled at the side of her mouth with satisfaction. _Damn straight I have good taste in food._

“You guys were here after I left?” Sango looked at Kagome quizzically before her eyes sent daggers at Miroku. “You were going to tell me WHEN, pray tell letch, that you not only knew where I lived before I told you but you met my sister?”

His hands raised in the air defensively as he slowly scooted himself farther from her while remaining on the couch “Her food was delivered to the wrong apartment! We took her food down to her! You can call my roommate and ask!” He frantically fished for his phone in his pocket and quickly pressed Inuyasha’s number placing the call on speakerphone.

“Uh-huuuuuuh.” The cinnamon eyed woman leaned against her bedroom door frame and arched an eyebrow incredulously. 

“Listen Monk. I don’t know why you’re calling me but if it's to gush over a woman’s ass again I’m hanging up.” The clink of exercise equipment was heard in the background of the call, and his occasional sounds of effort made it clear he was working out. _They had room in their apartment for workout equipment? Or was he at the gym?_ Kagome wondered.

“Hey I’m with Sango and her roommate, we helped that girl on the floor below us with her food earlier right? Brought it down to her apartment after it was **wrongly** delivered to our apartment?” Miroku was praying to every god he could think of to have his partner go with the story they confirmed the duo would go with, though he didn’t have the chance to tell him he had an audience.

“I mean.. I wasn’t going to help her at all, that food smelled delicious. Though I don’t think wrong is the right word, I mean you paid the-“ Inuyasha was interrupted abruptly with “SPEAKERPHONE, see you in a few” A stressed look in his eyes, he stared down at his phone. **_He’s dead to me. Dead. Inuyasha won’t wake up tomorrow._** Miroku quickly ended the call and gestured to Sango “I didn’t know this was your place or that Kagome was your sister, you guys don’t look much like each other how would I have known?”

“I’m adopted, it's alright Miroku.” Kagome smiled sadly for a split second before a grin spread across her face at the sight of Sangos’ fiery gaze slowly melting the unfortunate man’s skull. Miroku snapped his head around to look at Kagome for some inkling of information before Sango’s hand was on his shoulder and his arm was twisted behind his back, lifting him off of the couch and marched him to the front door.

“Next time, though there will  **not** be a next time for us, try to get you and your wing man’s story straight before you raise suspicions. I had a good time tonight until you showed your true creepy stalker nature.” She hissed into his ear, releasing his arm and in the blink of an eye had shoved him out of the door.

“I’ll see you whenever I see you, which will undoubtedly be far too soon since you know where I live. You bother me or my sister again, I will not hesitate to shove your dick so far down your throat you’ll cum out of your ass.” Sango seethed and glared directly into his eyes.

The door slammed in front of his face.

“B-but what about the paperwork? We really are interested! You’ll be legally allowed to beat my ass!” He pleaded through the door and felt movement at his feet. A pile of papers had been roughly shoved out from under the door. Letting out a frustrated sigh Miroku leaned forward and picked the papers up before rolling his purple sleeve up as he ascended the stairs, ready to pummel his friend into the floor.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Inuyasha had quickly hopped into the shower after the short phone call with Miroku knowing very well his partner was furious and giving him time to breathe would be the best course of action.  _ How was I supposed to know I was on speaker..? Wasn’t he supposed to be on his date? How the hell had that become the topic of their conversation?? _

The silver haired man sighed, relaxing his weight onto the shower wall behind him as he placed copious amounts of shampoo into his hands, massaging into his long hair and scalp. Taking a lock of hair between his fingers he watched the light reflect in an otherworldly platinum glow off of the strands and he shook his head, thinking back how hard his mother had tried to fight against the concealment charm altering his natural color. The dog ears he knew he had to hide from humans, but he himself was disappointed that he also had to cover one of the few things that he had his father's heritage. Being a hanyou meant a life of difficulties but he took pride in his father and his work.

He was one of the lucky mixed breeds who could easily fit in with only a few altercations to his appearance, thinking of Jinenji who’s massive body had and youkai had to be shoved into a more human sized frame. Though it wasn’t painful it definitely wasn’t pleasant at first. At least his concealment charm only made it so his senses were dulled (mainly his hearing and smell) which wasn’t really a bad thing in the big city. Saved him from severe headaches from the smog and other excessive fumes while he still had what was considered super hearing and super smell.

_ Here I am one of the lucky ones.. who woulda’ thought. Only took nearly 150 years. _

Inuyasha’s softly pointed ears flicked towards the wall and could hear Miroku’s frantic heartbeat and heavy steps pacing their living room.  _ Why was Miroku’s date involved with the target?  _ Turning off the shower he threw on black boxer briefs and knee-length athletic shorts, rolling his shoulders and stretching his neck trying to loosen himself up for the coming argument. His black eyebrows irked with irritation as he sighed before opening the door to his room.

“What in  **THEE** fuck Inuyasha” Miroku bellowed as soon as Inuyasha had stepped through his doorframe, his knuckles white on the kitchen counter. His ears lowered against his scalp at the sheer volume of Miroku’s tantrum and a low growl rumbled out of his chest instinctively. 

“Oi! How was I supposed to know you were back at Kagome’s apartment! The last time you called me after a ‘date’ your drunk ass needed a ride home from the bar.” Inuyasha's arms shoved into the pockets of his shorts and he looked away from Miroku’s intense gaze. “I take it your date didn’t go well after that.”

“They still gave us the dojo information and I think I can salvage after happened but I swear to god Inuyasha you will not fuck this up for me, Sango is a really interesting girl with a demon slayer background who could prove useful, both to my dick and to this mission. Not to mention  **we** need to gain Kagome’s trust.”

The hanyou’s eyebrows simultaneously raised in surprise. “Wait a minute, a Taijiya is Kagome’s roommate? They really don’t tell us  _ shit _ .”  _ Makes sense, explains how she’s been so protected until now.. _

“What do you mean salvage? What the did you do Miroku?”

“They deduced that we intentionally got their food thanks to your oh so clever wit and now they think I’m a stalker perv. We’re heading tomorrow to the dojo before they get out of their college class to register there. Wake up on time or I’m smothering you with a pillow, at the moment I don’t really care about the repercussions.” Miroku’s arms raised above his head as he smoothed his hair back with both hands as he walked around the apartment mindlessly.

“To be fair, they aren’t that far off.” A satisfied smirk crossed Inuyasha’s features as he saw Miroku’s face harden in anger, the violet-eyed man turned on his heels to walk into his bedroom.

“ **Fuck off Inuyasha.** ” Miroku spat as he slammed the door. 


	3. Chapter 3

Inuyasha huffed while shoving his hands into his pockets, irritated at the loud overhead music in the grocery store. He really enjoyed the technological advancements of the last hundred years. Being able to walk into a building and walk out with enough food for a week was a huge perk of the 21st century. He no longer had to wade into rivers to get fish or perfect his hunting skills to eventually fell boar and other various game. Humans were good at ingenuity...he’d give them that. Cell phones, while irritating, were convenient, and electricity lit up the dark nights that he once didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in. The internet was one of his favorite human creations ever. Being able to search for anything that popped into his mind after hundreds of years of being in the dark about the simplest concepts blew his mind. Humans took so much for granted nowadays.

The grocery stores, on the other hand...congregations of humans closely packed together, always in a hurry, and carrying with them a cacophony of scents. It always made him light-headed and made his nose twitch in discomfort, even with the concealment charm around his neck. 

Suddenly, someone shoved into him as he rounded the corner of an aisle, and then had the audacity to yell at him for being in the way? “Watch where you’re going asshole!.” The man in a business suit holding a small cup of coffee out from his frame seemed completely oblivious to the deadly look in the taller man’s eyes.

“I’m 3.5 seconds away from crushing your trachea into your chest cavity little man, so step off.” The smaller man glared up at him, scoffing at his words like Inuyasha was beneath him. Inuyasha was used to that sentiment, but it didn’t mean he had to tolerate it anymore in the modern era. Seeing red for a fraction of a second, he took a deep breath and shoved past the man, intentionally spilling the coffee he had been holding onto his sleeve. Inuyasha smiled deviously and walked to the registers. 

He was regretting having to go out into public in the first place… Miroku was lucky that Inuyasha felt badly after last night. He hadn’t meant to make his partner so angry and seeing how Miroku was genuinely upset, Inuyasha decided to grab groceries for breakfast. Besides, he also needed food for the apartment. 

Yeah. That’s what he’d go with. 

What’s more, His friend really loved good food and Inuyasha happened to be an okay cook. It was his way of saying sorry without feeling like a bitch about it. Inuyasha rarely apologized— only when it was absolutely necessary—rather letting his actions express his emotions. He’d never been one for words.

Returning to the apartment, Inuyasha placed pans onto the gas stove top and got to work. Miroku had spent years abroad studying in the U.S, as well as Europe, so he was fluent in various human languages and demon script. He had been useful, and despite being only 25, Miroku was ultimately wise beyond his years. Inuyasha had only made a Western breakfast once or twice, but he was willing to try to get on Miroku's good side today. 

Cracking eggs, he quickly whisked them together with a fork, adding various seasoning and proteins, Then turned to a thin package in particular.“Bacon, huh?” Inuyasha mused to himself. He sliced the plastic package open with his claws and pulled back the film to take a few sniffs of the meat. Nodding to himself for a moment, Inuyasha grabbed a few pieces and placed them onto the large pan, turning the heat to medium. “Goddamn,” he murmured, “that smells good.”

His eyes flicked back to the rest of the raw package. No, He sternly told himself, and shook his head, directing his attention to the pancake mix instructions, flipping the eggs into an omelet shape and—

His eyes were back to the raw meat. He had experienced his demon side bristle and howl with carnal urges in the past, but he had to admit his was a little weird for him, knowing that bacon was meant to be cooked. Even 150 years ago, after killing a boar it was at least cooked *a little bit* before being served. Placing the spatula onto the counter, he looked around the living room that was connected to the kitchen, ears flicking back and forth repeatedly to listen if his roommate had stirred. He knew today's standards meant he should cook it before trying a taste, and he didn’t want Miroku to catch him eating it raw. Inuyasha stood there battling with himself, hands on the counters stiffly when he suddenly reached out and grabbed a slice, shoving it into his mouth. 

“Oh. FUCK that’s good.” Eyes rolled back into his head, Inuyasha chewed with fervor, the fat melting, and the taste coating his mouth. Pork belly was one of his favorite foods to eat, especially with ramen, but he’d hadn’t had it raw in nearly 150 years. Manners and all that around humans with new food safety.

He plated the eggs and cooked bacon, and started on the pancakes. Despite being as agile as he was, he decided that flipping pancakes successfully was an acquired skill. Grumbling to himself as he put the scrapped pieces of pancake on a plate, he was too focused to hear Miroku’s door open. His claws kept cutting the damn things.

Miroku smelled the breakfast before he opened his bedroom door. Inuyasha only cooks breakfast when he’s trying to apologize… the boy’s an open book. Miroku sighed, resigning himself to also apologize to the hanyou, if Inuyasha was putting an effort to extend an olive branch, then Miroku was willing to reciprocate since he had been snapping at Inuyasha so much lately. Miroku slowly opened his bedroom door, thankful it was silent and stepped out to lean against the door frame as he watched Inuyasha put the dishes into the sink and place the ingredients back into the cabinets.  
The monk watched intrigued as Inuyasha absentmindedly reached to grab a piece of raw bacon. The pots are all in the sink…? He stared, mystified, as his friend’s hand lifted towards his face, and the monk could start to hear him chew.

Miroku hadn’t moved from his spot, afraid he would stop whatever magic was happening in front of him. It was like winning the lottery: Inuyasha’s apology didn’t really matter anymore. He could use this against him forever. Just wait until Sesshoumaru hears about this..

“Bacon’s pretty good, right?” Miroku’s voice broke the silence, his hand raised, covering his smile, but his brightened violet eyes expressed mirth. He’d never seen Inuyasha whip around so quickly. Miroku barked out a loud laugh at the sight of Inuyasha swallowing, and an intense blush spread across the hanyou’s face. Miroku never got tired of getting under the dense dog-eared man’s skin, and he would relish this embarrassment.

“This doesn’t leave the room Bouzu. My demon side wanted raw food! Alright!” Inuyasha choked out the words in clear embarrassment. He knew he wouldn’t hear the end of this. Miroku rose his hands, feinting defeat, as he walked into the kitchen, grabbed the breakfast components, and sat down at their small table, while Inuyasha stood in the kitchen with his ears half-lowered and a scowl on his face. He only moved when Miroku motioned for his roommate to sit down and eat with him.

“We need to go to the dojo this morning to talk to Sango’s father about classes, so finish your breakfast. Also daikons are raw and I don’t see you stuffing your face with those.” Miroku plopped food into his mouth watching Inuyasha pause, his eyes narrowing and facing away. Miroku’s lips pressed together in an attempt to not laugh; he knew better than to openly laugh at the man across from him without half a room distance so he had time to dodge a punch. 

“Demons eat meat.” Inuyasha shoved a piece of cooked bacon into his mouth aggressively. 

“Jinenji is a horse hanyou and I don’t see him shoving raw steak into his mouth.” The monk’s hand raised and he lifted his pointer finger sagely.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, I prefer you being mad at me over this shit. Find your own way there.” The hanyou jumped to his feet, snagged the concealment charm off of the counter, and shoved it over his head before sprinting out of the apartment with his workout bag.

“Oh come on—WAIT!” Miroku sighed, resolving to finish his breakfast before meeting him. He had cooked for him, so it was the least he could do, but grumbled wishing his partner would react better to being teased.  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
Inuyasha resisted the temptation to simply jump down the center of the stairwell and land on the ground floor. There was no escaping this embarrassment. Stupid demon side making him do questionable things. He’d always gotten flack growing up that he didn’t have complete control over his demon side’s instincts, remembering the time as a child he whined and licked his crush’s face before she ran away screaming. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as a grimace grew on his face and he rubbed his face with both palms. 

He stopped at the elevator, mulling over whether to take it. His human-appearing hand reached up and pressed the button before returning to his sweatpants pocket. Hiking the bag up onto his shoulder, he walked into the elevator, pressed the lobby button, and closed his eyes as he leaned into a back corner and the elevator began to descend.

The elevator dinged, and Inuyasha peeked through his black lashes before fumbling to stand up fully ;his eyes widened to see Kagome and Sango standing at the open doors. Both were dressed casually, Sango sporting black leggings over a solid long-sleeved black bodysuit. Kagome wore a green knee-length skirt paired with a peach long-sleeved shirt. He could scent them both as the doors opened and was pleased that Kagome’s wasn’t interlaced with fear like before. Sango's presence really had an effect on her. 

“Oh, if it isn’t the letch’s sidekick.” Sango’s eyes met Inuyasha’s with a nearly disgusted look before she stepped inside. Kagome walked and leaned against the opposite wall as she glanced at him shyly. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks when he met her gaze and she quickly looked at the floor.

“This sidekick has a given name. Inuyasha Taisho.” He wasn’t the one who did the talking and suddenly wished he had waited for the monk to finish his breakfast. Though if he had he wouldn’t have the opportunity to get to know them without Miroku’s incessant flirting hindering their progress. “And you are…?”

“Sango and Kagome Moriya,” Sango mumbled surlily.

“I also go by Higurashi.” A quiet voice peeped from behind Sango’s frame, and Inuyasha leaned to the side to see her. She was biting her lower lip, her body seemingly wishing to be eaten by the floor at the announcement, though her face seemed resolved on the decision to mention it.

“Nice to meet you, Moriya Higurashi.” Inuyasha tilted his head and nodded at her. Their eyes caught each other’s gaze and she smiled, his body sending a genuine toothy smile back despite himself. She was the target of their surveillance and here he was acting like she was the cutest thing he’d ever seen. A fluttering sensation unfurled into his chest and internally he was taken aback... When was the last time he genuinely smiled at a stranger..? He looked away and tried to reset his features, his usual scowl firmly back in its place. 

Silence enveloped the elevator as the doors closed. “So… Miroku said you guys were college students? You guys heading out to class?”

“That’s a name we no longer mention in my presence, but… yes. Kagome has class at 10 so we’re going to get breakfast and coffee on the way.” Sango wasn’t sure why she was opening up to the roommate of the man who had quickly squashed her hopes of a potential fling. She didn’t date men with questionable intentions, no matter how much she wanted to see them naked. 

Inuyasha whistled lowly. “I know he’s an idiot, but he hasn’t stopped talking about you for weeks now. He should have been more open about what happened, but he bribed the delivery kid to let him deliver the food so he’d get a chance to surprise you before you left for the date and as dumb of an idea as it was, he had good intentions. We only knew where you lived because I’d seen you when we were moving in a few weeks ago.” Liar… liar liar liaaaaaaaaaar… His conscious chanted before he squelched it down. If his ears were visible they’d be flat against his head. He was shit at lying. The furry appendages always gave him away, despite his best attempts at a poker face. He needed to salvage the situation and get Miroku to talk to her again if they had any chance of finding out more about Kagome. 

Sango seemed surprised at his words, her pressed together lips forming a thin line. “I doubt it’ll change my mind, but I guess I could talk to him to find out what he was thinking.” Her left hand raised to her chin in deep thought, and she turned to Kagome, silently asking for her input.

“I guess you could give him a second chance?” Kagome’s shoulders raised together quickly at her words. “He really did seem to like you, and he’s probably right, he’s just an idiot who accidentally makes bad decisions for the right reasons to him. Plus you could just beat him up?” 

The elevator dinged as it reached the lobby, Sango moved to exit the elevator quickly, deep in thought. Kagome stayed back a moment and looked at the floor. Her lower lip caught under her teeth nervously she glanced up at the dark-eyed man with obsidian hair. “It was nice to formally meet you, I-Inuyasha. I hope I get to see you again soon!” She quickly scuttled out of the elevator as the doors began to close, turning her head to catch his brilliant smile before the doors shut completely. 

The stutter over his name had him smiling again: goddamn, she was adorable. The smile died on his lips as quickly as it came, however, as his mind flashed back to the smell of her terror the first time they met. What had happened that made her so scared of two men simply trying to drop off food? His brow furrowed in thought as he thought of the possibilities, both his hands clenched and his nails dug into his palm. None of them he liked in the slightest. Her scent was intriguing, and he took a deep breath to burn it into his memory before the lingering traces in the air dissipated. He’d try his best to keep her scent from reeking of terror ever again. 

But why was he feeling this way over someone they’d simply been assigned to keep out of trouble? Toga made it sound as if it was one of the most important jobs they’d ever been assigned and it was merely finding out information about a 22-year old girl. He’d have to give his old man a call to figure out why one woman’s scent was suddenly so distinct in his mind and why she was so important to warrant surveillance in the first place. The hanyou’s questions were always answered as best as they could be by his father. Demons were a difficult bunch to understand and Inuyasha was complicated at best with his split heritage. He pressed the door open button, briskly walking out into the lobby with a new determination to get to Moriya Dojo and to talk to Miroku.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra-long chapter for y'all! Initially, it was two chapters, but they worked better together. Enjoy! Please leave some feedback on how y'all think I'm doing :) I'd super appreciate it! 
> 
> Thank you *Soooooo* much Fawn_Eyed_Girl, Lavendertwilight89, and Karina for all of your help on this! I don't know what I'd do without you! <3

Inuyasha walked out to the apartment parking lot in his athletic gear, the brisk morning air slightly stinging his skin. He took a lingering, deep breath as he sorted through the scents of the city around him. It always smelled gross. His steps quickened as he thought about the phone call he was about to make once he was in the car. Toga Taisho was revered in the demon world as one of the most powerful demons of all time, and he had produced one of the most easily detested things in existence: a hanyou son. Growing up, Inuyasha knew that his father loved him, an nearly overcompensating amount, it was overwhelming most of the time, causing him to pull back emotionally. Inuyasha felt that his father’s love was almost a pity of sorts, given his mixed-blood nature, rather than genuine emotion; however, he knew deep down that his father's affections towards him were genuine; and he needed them to be, after his mother died over 100 years ago.

His red Lexus coupe was parked in the corner of the lot, and with a beep from the fob, the doors unlocked and he climbed inside. A simple press of the starter had the engine running and he quickly pressed a button labeled with a phone on the steering wheel.

“Call dad.”

The car’s speakers rumbled dialed thrums before he heard his father’s deep voice at the end of the line.

“Inuyasha! You’ve caught me at a good time. How are things progressing, pup? You have news?” Inuyasha’s eyes rolled at the sentimental nickname his father continued to call him. He was nearly 250, even if that didn’t have the same authority compared to human lifespans. His father was thousands of years old; he had seen so much.

“Father, I wanted to ask you about... the assignment? Miroku and I are getting the feeling there’s more than you let on about this girl. I-I don’t think she knows that she—“ Inuyasha started his sentence without resolve, his voice faltering, but his tone quickly progressed to irritation.

“Stop. Not over the phone. I’ll meet you at the usual place in 30 minutes. Bring Miroku with you.” The authority in Toga’s tone had made his command definite, leaving Inuyasha nodding to himself once his father stopped speaking.

“Ok. We’ll see you there.” The line went dead.

He sighed and took his phone out of his pocket to send Miroku a quick text to meet him in his car. As much as he wanted to meet his father alone after the bullshit that was this morning, he had specified for Miroku to tag along. No one went against the Alpha’s wishes. 

Miroku sauntered over to the car and plopped into the passenger seat, his mouth already open and ready to give Inuyasha shit.  
“Not. A. Word.” Inuyasha snarled out, baring his hidden fangs at the man in the passenger seat and glaring before pulling the car out of the complex.  
-_-_-_

Kagome had been thoroughly exhausted when she woke up. She had trouble sleeping the night before due to her anxiety and the late-night nap, but at least she had gotten some studying done; regardless, child developmental psychology was only so exciting. Sango stayed awake as long as she could, purely for emotional support. Having Miroku in the apartment had spooked Kagome. She usually got a heads up when Sango brought a man back to the apartment, and she would make herself absent. The future physical therapist would normally go back to the lucky man’s place so Kagome could have the refuge of her home. 

Sango was a normal 22-year old woman, after all, with normal sexual urges, and Kagome didn’t want to get in the way of that because she was damaged. Kagome wished she had been luckier in her life, that she didn’t have to see a specialized therapist twice a month. Her cognitive behavioral therapy, combined with stress management techniques and hypnotherapy, had been crucial for her recovery over the years. Kagura’s focus slowly changed from panic control to helping Kagome get on with her life. Kagura specialized in sexual assault cases, that would help her overcome her issues with physical contact, given time. She was such a wonderful woman, and her own experiences with assault were what Kagome had connected to so quickly. She knew that Kagura could understand what she was trying to overcome, and it was the reason Kagome was also becoming a behavioral therapist in the first place. She wanted to help people as much as Kagura and her other therapists had helped her. Her mind was still a vicious mess, but it had come so far, and she knew she should be proud of that. 

Meeting Inuyasha officially had brightened her morning though, much to her surprise. She hadn't expected him to be in the elevator and her steps paused briefly before standing against the wall opposite of him. Sango stood between them, almost as her personal guard, as they snipped at each other, and her heart flopped around in her chest when he acknowledged her original family name. While Kagome loved the Moriya family and what they did for her, she was still a Higurashi and didn’t want to lose that aspect of herself. It was important to keep her family alive even if in name alone.

Maybe this guy was alright after all, and maybe one day she’d be able to get to know him better? She was skeptical, though, since she basically kept to herself for the past 8 years with very few female friends at all, let alone men. Sango had been her adopted sister since she was 4 years old, and18 years together had brought her the best friendship Kagome could have ever asked for. Inuyasha felt trustworthy to her, and she was finding herself wanting to know more about him, despite her initial instincts about him. Maybe he could be a friend to her, just like Sango. Could he be an exception?  
-_-_-_  
Toga lazily sat back in the wooden chair, bringing one of his shoe-clad feet to rest over the opposite knee. His bright, gold-hazel eyes monitored the small café from his position in the back corner of the establishment, and he ran his hands through his short black hair. He hadn’t worn it short for very long, maybe a few decades, but he needed a change. Over the years it had begun to be peppered with silvery gray strands despite the concealment jewelry adorning his fingers. Brushing the faint wrinkles out of his dark grey suit, he pulled at the hems of his suit jacket and dress shirt. Patience had been a virtue he had been forced to develop shortly after he began his rule over the land, and it had been tempered and perfected after his youngest son was born. 

He had come to appreciate this small cafe space a number of years ago, after one of his colleagues had purchased it. Kitsune were a dependable bunch. They had been his allies for thousands of years, through countless wars, and the rise and fall of human civilizations.  
The brunette kitsune barista glanced in his direction and sent him a respectful nod before she flashed a fanged smile. They both heard the door open, and the fox demon’s fangs quickly receded and, in the blink of an eye, she had adorned a generic female human appearance. 

Toga rose to stand as he watched his youngest son and his friend walk to his small table, and within an instant, Inuyasha was lifted off the ground by his father’s sweeping hug. The inu youkai stood a good 6 to 8 inches taller than his progeny, and strong handsome features apparently ran in the family. Toga’s thick black brows furrowed slightly as he took a deep exhale and heavily inhaled through his nostrils taking in his son’s scent. He smelled so much like her, like Izayoi. 

“Father, come ON.” Inuyasha squirmed slightly in his father's heavy grip, though he knew it was futile to try to worm his way out. His father had always done this, even before his mother had died, though the longer he had been away, the worse it got.

“It's been weeks since I’ve seen you, pup.” Toga said quietly as he relaxed his grip and Inuyasha dropped down back to the floor, his dark eyes glaring up at him. Toga smiled a fanged grin, quickly rubbing his son’s head with a slightly clawed hand, roughing up his hair. The concealment charms worked well enough, but being an extremely powerful daiyoukai, his features weren’t as easily disguisable as the general demon populous. That’s why he didn’t go out in the human public and was often found at known demon-owned establishments. He turned his gaze to Miroku, who bowed deeply at the acknowledgment.

“Taisho-sama.”

Toga gestured for the men to sit as he pulled himself back into his chair. The kitsune woman walked up to the table and gave them small paper menus. Toga, however, raised his hand at the gesture when she leaned to give him one. “Just a large hot chocolate please, and whatever your best pastry is.” He winked at her with a side smile, and the woman’s green eyes widened with a light blush across her cheeks.

Inuyasha snorted once, which earned him a meaningful glare from the daiyoukai with a cocked brow, he quickly dropped his gaze to the menu. He knew his father always got his Mother’s favorite drink. It had been that way for as long as he could remember.

“I’ll take a vanilla latte made with ristretto please, no food for me.” Inuyasha smiled curtly as he handed the menu back to the woman. Coffee was bitter on his taste buds, but whatever ristretto was, it made it more tolerable. He needed the caffeine to have this discussion with his father, especially with the bozou present. 

“Black coffee please.” Miroku’s smooth voice broke Inuyasha’s thoughts, and he turned to look at this father. The barista bowed lightly and went to make their drinks.

“So old man, what’s up with this Kagome girl? Why is she so important that you have us watching over her? She doesn’t even know she has powers for god's sake, how important could she be? And WHY does her scent get drowned with fear whenever she’s alone with a male?”  
Toga leaned forward onto the table, bracing his weight with his elbows as he wove his fingers together in thought. “We’re not sure what her abilities are...” he finally said after a few moments, his eyes catching those of his hanyou son. “All we know is that she’s been the target of Tekkei and her clan since she was a child. You heard of the Higurashi shrine fire? The entire shrine grounds were burned and Kagome was the sole survivor. We believed youkai were behind it.” His eyes softened, he looked down at his hands briefly before hardening once more.

“We found out later that it was indeed arson, set by low-level youkai in an attempt to get a hold of the girl. She was placed into the care of the Moriya family shortly afterward. Demon slayers were the best chance she could have against our kind.” His voice tensed slightly in frustration.

“Why now, Taisho-sama? Why are we watching her? Is she under threat from the Tekkei clan again?” Miroku questioned.  
“There has been murmurs amongst our informants that the clan is indeed trying again to go after the girl. For them to attempt to take her three times in her short life, it must mean she’s something extraordinary, and if that is the case, we need to keep her out of their hands.”

“Wait a minute, third time? What happened the second time?” Inuyasha’s eyes were piercing as he stared at his father, waiting.

“Bankotsu, the youngest of the Seven, was in school with her. He courted Kagome under false pretenses, and used the relationship to make her vulnerable.” Inuyasha’s fist began clenching unconsciously at his father’s words. He used her? Fuck him. 

The Seven were notorious in Tokyo’s underground as mercenaries, most recently known for their work with the Meiotori demon clan.  
“She was assaulted and kept at one of their safe houses to try to make her crack... From what I understand, she didn’t have any idea why it was happening. Just confused as to why her boyfriend was doing it to her. He kept her for nearly 24 hours before she somehow managed to escape. Human police searched for Bankotsu with little to show for it; it’s hard to arrest or charge someone with youkai assistance on his side. Intel tells us he’s still slinking around somewhere here in Tokyo.” Toga paused as the kitsune brought their drinks and he gave a small forced smile at the woman as she departed.

“She’s been in therapy for years now. I get brief summaries sent to my office whenever Kagome mentions something of importance, of anything similar to reiki, youki, potential demons, or Bankotsu.”

“Miroku and I are pretty certain she has no idea she has powers at all, and getting her private records, that’s fucked up and you know it,” Inuyasha barked at his father, a snarl on his lips. This only further cemented that his decision to avoid therapy was the correct one. He always had a sickening fear that the great Toga would somehow find out about what was said during his sessions, doctor-patient confidentiality be damned. 

“I do my job as Lord of the West before all others, pup. Do you think I enjoy it? I’m well aware of how this makes me look; I would never want this to happen to anyone, boy. So, we need to be one step ahead.” Toga’s voice had lowered and become gravelly in anger. The hairs on the back of Inuyasha’s neck rose, and he averted his gaze from his father, in a sign of submission.

“That’s why I’ve assigned you to watch over her. Get close to her and make sure she’s protected. Something is... coming. They wouldn’t be as active as they are without some sort of plan. I’ve contacted Kouga’s clan in an attempt to discuss the Meiotori seal integrity to make sure she’s still trapped behind the barrier. Kitsune have also been dispatched around the area to keep a close watch.” Toga’s voice became low. 

A deep frown spread across Inuyasha’s face as he listened intently, disgust rising off of him as his thoughts processed the new information he had been given. Kagome’s life had been so irrevocably damaged since she was a child, over youkai matters that she didn’t even know existed. Fuck. Life wasn’t fair.

“Must be real important to involve that filthy wolf in our affairs again.” The hanyou reached for his drink, slowly nursing it, his eyes closed to avoid looking at the Inu no Taisho. He knew the Lord of the West wouldn’t tolerate anyone speaking as frankly as he did, modern times had tamed his anger down considerably, but he knew he’d receive some sort of reprimand. Inuyasha acknowledged that he was on thin ice... thankfully he was in public with a human, even if it was Miroku.

A deep sigh escaped Toga as he lifted the hot chocolate in a clawed hand before he tilted his head back and drank the entire cup in one smooth gulp.  
“I have to get back to the office, Miroku. I'm counting on you to keep both Kagome and Inuyasha safe. You will need to find a way in with the demon slayers, so we know what these youkai are after.” Toga slightly nodded to Miroku before bringing his hand back to rub Inuyasha’s head with an open palm once more before tossing bills of cash onto the table. 

The Inu no Taisho stood, his frame looming over the table before he leaned forward, his face inches from his son’s. “You are to be on your best behavior with the Higurashi girl, pup. No son of mine is going to give a hard time to someone who’s been through so much. If I find out that you hurt her, I will use all the power at my disposal to make you miserable.” His golden gaze staring into his son’s amber grey. Inuyasha reflexively swallowed and nodded lightly, fear spreading across his features.

“I don’t see you threatening Sesshoumaru, and he’s ten times the asshole I am to humans,” Inuyasha grumbled, meeting his father’s gaze with an unflinching resolve that seemingly hadn't been there before. His brother was known for his reserve, rarely speaking unless necessary, to both humans and youkai alike. Sesshoumaru was 300 years older than Inuyasha, and had been his father's right hand for centuries. There was little love between the two siblings, but they both actively followed Toga’s orders without question. 

A deep sigh left the inu daiyoukai. Toga knew Inuyasha was a little unpredictable, though that might have been putting it too mildly. The boy had been fighting with humans and youkai alike even as a child, trying to prove to himself that he was worthy of being part of Inu no Taisho’s bloodline. Coming home with broken bones had become a regular occurrence, even when he had Sesshoumaru look after him. Toga knew that his two sons never got along like loving half-siblings, but he knew that Sesshoumaru would never go against his command to keep his pack safe. However, Inuyasha had more of a heart than his first son, Toga couldn’t deny that. Inuyasha had inherited it from his human mother, and that was why Inuyasha was perfect to protect the human girl, compared to his full youkai brother, who could get a limb lopped off without showing any signs of weakness, or show any signs of emotion at watching someone else's limb get chopped off. Kagome was a sweet girl who needed a human-esque approach. 

The man let out a booming laugh as he rose back to standing and shoved his hands into his pockets as he turned to walk away. “Sesshoumaru has his own merits, just like you do, Inuyasha. Behave.” Toga winked at the kitsune barista as he walked out of the building; his aura of confidence left a void in the now-silent room, and it left Inuyasha and Miroku slightly reeling from its absence. Both young men looked at each other after the great demon had stepped out of the café, relief washing over their figures.  
“Your father is easily THE MOST intimidating man I have ever met,” Miroku said as his hands covered his face, rubbing his forehead.  
Inuyasha’s head hung back, past the back of the chair, eyes closed with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. “You have no. Fucking. Idea.”  
-_-_-_

Before Kagome knew it, her classes were over for the day. With a relieved sigh, she grabbed her small duffel bag with her workout clothes and headed for the exit of the psychology building. Sango stood at the entrance of the building, casually flicking through her phone as she waited for Kagome to finish her classes. It was their long-established ritual: Sango would be there to escort her sister to and from school and join her for lunch every day. Kagome pulled her messenger bag over her shoulder as she walked out of the building, excitedly running up to Sango. “Do you think Kohaku is ready to get his ass kicked today?” 

The blue-eyed girl jumped as Sango let out a boisterous laugh. “I’m sure he's ready and willing at this point; you bug him every week for sparring practice. Once you win he’ll be able to take a break! He’s a teen with his own life, you know.” Kagome puffed her chest out proudly and flexed her arms up. If I can imitate confidence, maybe it’ll become real…

Kagome had been practicing with Kohaku for a few months now and had been slowly improving; she’d even landed a hit against him last week! Her attacks weren’t as powerful as Sango’s, she knew that, but Kagome had been hoping that she’d eventually be able to outmaneuver her opponents and get opportune strikes in rather than direct fist-fight combat. Kohaku didn’t go easy on her as Sango did. Not that it didn’t take him convincing to do so; everyone in the family treated Kagome as if she was made of glass, except for him. How was Kagome supposed to learn how to defend herself if she was never given the opportunity? 

“Let's get going, I’m itching to punch something after the last couple of days we’ve had!” Kagome smiled and waggled her eyebrows as she walked to the curb and hailed a cab. “Moriya Gym, please.” The girls simultaneously called out before they paused and laughed. Maybe they spent a little too much time together.  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

“Kooooooooohaaaaaku! Lets go!” Kagome called as she walked into the small side room of the gym’s main floor. It was covered in soft matting on all surfaces, save for one rather large window looking into the room from the main area. This had been her small practice space since she started working out here. Kohaku was the only person she sparred with on a regular basis, and she hated an audience. Being in the back of the building helped keep her anxiety at a minimum; none of the patrons had ever paid enough attention to actively look through the window to find out what was actually going on.

Rolling her shoulders, Kagome lightly jumped in place to try to amp herself up as the boy—now a young man—walked into the room with his water bottle and towel. The younger brunette man was dressed in a sleek black workout t-shirt and black shorts. His shoulder-length hair tied back in a high ponytail. He looked so much like his sister, though his face was freckled lightly over his cheeks and his bright brown eyes were a few shades lighter than Sango’s. He’d grown up so much since they met after the shrine fire and it was almost unnerving how much of an adult he had become. He was 19 now and the thought of how much time had passed made her want to vomit. How am I so old at 22? 

The pair started playfully, as they bumped wrapped fists before they quickly began their sparring match. Kohaku’s movements were fluid; he anticipated his opponent’s movements and was able to dodge effortlessly. Kagome, on the other hand, was obviously frustrated from the start; her punches and kicks were jagged and sporadic. “Kagome, you’ve gotta focus!” Kohaku said. “It's not all about trying to land a hit. Wait for an opening.” 

He reached to grapple her and she pivoted her weight, bringing up her arms to block the grab and glancing his weight off of her shoulder. She reeled back and kicked him as hard as she could into his back, and he stumbled forward. Regaining his balance, he kept his momentum, and turning quickly he swung a leg out in a high kick. 

Kagome barely stumbled back in time to avoid Kohaku’s left heel digging into her cheek.  
“You’re slipping! You almost had me just a minute ago, come on KA-GO-ME!” he taunted, his weight balanced on his right leg as he swept his left leg forward at her feet, trying to get her to lose her balance. He easily succeeded, as her feet were knocked out from under her and she landed flat onto her back, wincing at the sound of herself hitting the mat. Kohaku stifled a laugh as he walked towards her to help her up, but then she hooked her right foot around his left ankle and spun her body like a snake around the entirety of his leg as she maneuvered to pin him, he fell forward with his face into the mat. 

“YOU DESERVE THIS TORTURE!!” she suddenly yelled. She leaned forward, locked his ankle into the crook of her left arm, and viciously started tickling the bottom of his foot. Kohaku started screaming as he flailed his arms and free leg to break free, but to no avail; he wouldn’t be getting out without dislocating his kneecap. He began to slap the mat frantically in submission. “I give! I give, you cheater!! I’m telling Sango!” She looked up to the window, to see if their sister had seen her win. 

That's when she realized they had an audience. A figure was leaning against the window, with its arms across its chest, and Kagome’s heart dropped. Her grip on Kohaku’s pinned leg loosened and he pulled out of her grip, kicking her in the jaw as he scrambled to freedom. Her head careened to the side as she lifted up her hand to her cheek, and when her eyes drifted back to the window the figure was still standing there, waiting. 

“Oh shit, Kagome—I’m sorry!” Kagome looked at Kohaku with slight tears welling in her eyes, quickly shaking her head.

“It's okay! That's what I get, I should have known better, since I know how ticklish you are! Though you’re absolutely getting your ass kicked next time now that I have a thirst for blood.” She picked herself up and walked to her towel before spitting into it; blood swirled with her saliva onto the white towel. I am going to be in agony later... Tylenol and soup are in my future.

The figure moved away from the window as Kohaku opened the door to take a break and Kagome braced herself for the embarrassment of walking by whoever was watching. Deep breaths, her mind chanted as she collected her water bottle and towel and headed out the door. Her mind moved on to finding Sango to brag about her win when the figure at the window spoke. 

“Oi, I didn’t know you knew how to fight, Kagome. You don’t look the type.” Her body jumped at the voice like she had been electrocuted; she recognized that voice. Inuyasha was standing there, wearing a loose maroon workout shirt, though it clung to his upper chest due to the sweat dampening the fabric. He wore his long dark hair in a high tieback with bangs slightly clumped together. His fists were wrapped, and slightly reddened from what she had assumed had been a session with the punching bags hanging from the ceiling adjacent to the wall. Good lord, how often does this guy work out? 

Swallowing, she began to scold herself for panicking. I knew someone was there, Kohaku was in the room with me and I still jumped like a sissy… Good god, Kagome, get it together! This isn't a dark alley, you practically grew up here. You’re safe. 

Inuyasha stood up straighter as she made eye contact with him, a glint in his cinder eyes as he smirked and looked at her before frowning slightly at the sight of her swollen cheek. “Are you okay?” He stepped forward to take a closer look, Kagome’s breath stopped mid-respiration as he reached his hand out slightly, before bringing it back across his chest once more. “You should put some ice on that.” 

Oh, thank god. Don’t touch me. Kagome exhaled the breath she didn't realize she was holding and nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay! Kohaku clocked me pretty good in the face, but I won the match, so… worth it.” She couldn’t control her excitement as she beamed up at him “I finally got him!” 

Inuyasha couldn’t help but smile back at her. “I’m pretty experienced at fighting, if you ever want to change up your partners. I’ll go easy on you,” he teased before taking a small inhale through his nose, smelling the anger before it hit her features. Inuyasha slapped himself mentally as he prepared himself for what was coming, his expression floundered as Kagome’s face changed before he could blink, anger radiating off of her in waves.

“I don’t need ANYONE to go easy on me, let alone some random buff ass man who lives in my apartment complex. I’m so tired of people acting like my skin is paper! I just want to get better so I can protect myself. It's nothing that I haven’t felt before.” Her hands clenched into the fabric of her shorts as she glared at him, her eyes full of determination, before the comprehension of what she said widened her eyes nearly into the size of saucers. 

“Plus, I don’t spar with anyone other than Kohaku, Sango, or their father.” That was the point of her learning how to fight in the first place; it was so that she’d be able to defend herself in case her family wasn’t with her. 

“You don’t train with anyone else? Why?” But he already knew why. Kagome didn’t respond; her eyes were hollow as she stared past him. The inu hanyou smelled her unease as her scent shifted; an uncomfortable pause enveloped them, and he forced himself to speak. “Keh, I didn’t mean anything by it, aight? I was just trying to tease you. I saw you in there; you hold your own. Otherwise, the kid wouldn’t have been slapping the mat so hard you could hear it from the building over.” Inuyasha’s eyes stared away from her, glancing around the room as he spoke before looking back at a face full of surprise and genuine gratitude. He glanced at her with a confused look and raised an eyebrow. Shit, that’s all it took? This girl goes from terrified at seeing me the first time to happily smiling just because I complimented her fighting prowess? Her emotions are all over the place. 

“R-really? You mean i-it?” Kagome’s looked away, a faint blush appearing before a look of confusion hit her and she turned back, finding the black-haired man staring at his phone. 

“Wait a minute, why are you here? Is Miroku here with you?” Kagome’s face pinched slightly as she focused on his face before a sensation of room spinning overtook her. She placed a hand onto the wall to balance herself. Luckily Inuyasha was still looking down and he hadn’t caught her balance wavering. It's like whenever I look at him too long I get dizzy. What is happening?

“Miroku is upstairs trying to smooth things out with Sango, and apparently he’s making progress. I guess kicking his ass helped a lot.” 

“It is her favorite pastime after all. Sango’s been that way since I was a kid. I think she’s becoming a physical therapist out of guilt.” Kagome hummed for a moment, her eyes reflecting on her past as she twisted her water bottle open.

“Crying face, pleading face, smirking face, fists, beer emoji, peach emoji, eggplant.” Inuyasha’s expression and tone flattened with each phrase as he exasperatedly read them out loud. Pausing, he stared forward while blinking rapidly and shaking his head. “I don’t understand, in what lifetime he thinks his bullshit works?” 

Kagome snorted before taking a large drink, a small dribble of water sneaking around her lips and down her neck. The hanyou’s eyes watched, as if mesmerized by the small droplet, as it stopped in the faint divot of her collar bone. He could feel his youki buzzing to life and his demon side made no motion to chill out as he had the sudden urge to lick the sweat off of her. 

The pair heard a half-hearted cough and turned to look at Kohaku, who nodded subtly at Kagome as he spoke. “I’m uhh...gonna go find Sango. You comin’, ‘Gome?” Kohaku knew Kagome would be quickly uncomfortable in the room alone with damn-near any man, and she appreciated him giving her an out. Sango’s brother had grown to know the workings of her mind just as their sister did, and the protective nature of them both was one of the things that had helped Kagome in her day-to-day life. 

Kagome’s gaze swung back to the tall man in front of her. “I’m gonna go find Sango and say hi to Miroku while I get some ice,” she told him. The grey-eyed man nodded. 

“Hey, speaking of, if you or Sango ever want to know more about Miroku, or ways to fuck with him, here’s my number. I’ve known him for years now and I, unfortunately, have been blessed to know all of his deep dark secrets.” He pulled a small black business card out of the back pocket of his basketball shorts and held it as far from him as possible, between his pointer and middle fingers, before Kagome gingerly took it, careful not to make contact. 

“This looks like a movie villain’s business card… and why would you have this in your pocket while you're working out?” Kagome mumbled under her breath despite herself; the tone wasn’t missed by the hanyou. The card was completely black other than ‘Inuyasha Taisho’ in thick ornate white lettering and his phone number. No job information, address, or email. 

“Keh. I recently started to work for my father at his company. These are early drafts. I showed Miroku earlier.” He crossed his arms across his chest and looked away in an attempt of nonchalance. She looked horrified that he had heard her and, again for not the first time today or let alone this conversation, kicked himself internally. A human wouldn't have heard her, come the fuck on Inuyasha!! Quit slipping up! 

Kagome had a thoughtful look on her face before lightly humming, once the shocked expression left her. “Okay. I’ll tell her; though I may text you myself to find out if he’s actually a monster in disguise. I’ll see you around?” Kagome had been emboldened by how well the conversation had been going and her lack of freaking out. Until she thought about how she’d be freaking out normally. Oh shit. Now she was stressing about why she was not stressing. She always stressed when talking to men; what was different about him? Not good. Nope, nope, nope. 

Inuyasha opened his mouth to respond when he was interrupted with a quick “Bye!” as Kagome practically ran out of the room, dragging Kohaku by the hand into the stairwell to the second floor, where Sango had presumably been beating Miroku’s ass. 

The hanyou stood for a moment, facial expression unreadable as he processed the conversation that had transpired. It had gone… well? There was a good chance he’d be able to find her again at the gym and continue talking to her if she or Sango didn’t text him first. Genuine success. 

Yet he couldn't stop feeling like he was the biggest asshole on the planet. This is what Bankotsu did. The vermin had gotten to know her for an ulterior motive, just as he was doing right now, and his stomach churned with guilt. What he was doing was different, right? He wasn’t a monster in disguise, like she had joked about Miroku. Right? He would have to convince himself of that later. This was for her protection… He-They weren’t going to hurt her. 

“Fuck,” Inuyasha gruffly mumbled as he brought a hand across his face. Blinking rapidly, he gently shook his head at himself and pulled his ponytail tighter as he turned back to the punching bags. He was ready to destroy something. 

-_-_-_

It was in the morning a week later when Inuyasha heard his phone’s recognizable ping from across his futon; his pointed ears quickly turning towards the device. Golden eyes were blurry from sleep, his hand rubbing them absentmindedly, while he unlocked his phone and pulled up the message. He had expected a text from his father, or someone at the office, but what appeared on his screen brought a broad smile to his face. 

‘If I hear him say one more time that Sango is the prime candidate to bear his children I am going to commit murder. I hope you have a backup roommate in mind. - K’


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome spirals and Inuyasha's secret is revealed, sort of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Fawn_Eyed_Girl and Karina for all your help with this chapter! Don't know what I'd do without you guys! 
> 
> *I still don't own Inuyasha and have zero benefits other than mental to be writing this stuff.

It had become a routine of sorts; Kagome would come to the dojo on nights where they didn’t have much homework, or when Sango was helping to teach a class with her father. Some nights Inuyasha didn’t make small talk with Kagome, as she was usually practicing with Kohaku, but they’d always say hello and goodbye. He was becoming a regular in her day-to-day life, which was pivotal to gaining Kagome's trust.

Texting had been a success as well, although Miroku was admittedly frustrated at the embarrassing stories that Inuyasha delighted in divulging to his attempted love interest and her roommate. But,  _ whatever works to get their trust _ , Inuyasha mused. 

Now, at the dojo, Kagome was bouncing her weight, alternating bearing it between her legs as she prepared for the night's sparring match, pumping herself up while simultaneously loosening her limbs and joints. It had taken nearly 2 months of sparring/practicing with Kohaku after Inuyasha showed up for her to be able to win approximately 50% of the fights. 

Kagome took a fresh towel from the pile and rubbed her sweaty face, neck, and upper chest vigorously, her wild bangs somehow simultaneously sticking to her forehead but also away from her face. Inuyasha stifled a smile. She still had such a proud air about herself and he didn’t want to ruin it by saying something wrong (which he did flawlessly like it was his nature to ruin a good moment), so he held out his right fist to her in a congratulatory fist bump. She paused for a moment, eyes flicking between his fist and his steady gaze as if weighing the pros and cons of touching him, before smiling with her lower lip under her teeth and slugging his fist with her own. 

“OUCH! Careful with the guns, girl; they’re dangerous.” He feigned injury, rubbing his bumped hand as she blushed and looked away. 

_ Why am I like this all the sudden? Sure, I’m cocky, but I’ve never been a heartthrob. Being a hanyou never was a winning trait with women, especially in the old days...  _ His face paled slightly at his next thought. _ Oh shit! The monk’s rubbing off on me. Maybe I need to be purified. She’s a surveillance target, for god's sake. Get your shit together, Inuyasha. _

The hanyou’s charcoal eyes drifted from her face to the hand he was rubbing and his eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. Where typical human nails should have been, his long demonic claws were visible instead. “What the fuck?” he whispered, just loud enough for himself to hear, as he touched his left pointer finger to his thumb nail to make sure it was real. A small droplet of blood pooled where it made contact, and he quickly did a check of himself. His left hand appeared to still be concealed; he flicked his tongue over his teeth and made no contact with the usual fangs. Casually, he reached up with his left hand and grasped at his left ear. Yep. Still human. He pulled out his phone to look into the black screen to see dark eyes peering back.

Inuyasha shoved his right hand into his pocket before Kagome turned her head back at him, and he faked a small smile. He couldn’t let on that something was happening, no matter how much he was freaking out internally. The hanyou felt a combination of anxiety and dread creep deeply into his stomach. He’d never heard of a concealment charm shorting out and failing without direct damage to the enchanted item. Even then, it took nearly destroying the object to do it. His left hand met the necklace around his neck and he slowly felt the beads for any defect, unable to find any.

_I didn't feel anything. No reiki, no youki; nothing. How is that possible? What the fuck, what the fu-_

“Oh, OUCH! Did you see that, Inuyasha? Miroku really didn’t understand what he was getting into...” Kagome’s soft pink lips parted, sharply sucking her breath through her closed teeth. One of her eyes closed, wincing sympathetically at the sound of Miroku’s body thudding onto the mat covered floor.

Kagome glanced over to Inuyasha, who was staring down at the floor, not paying attention to his roommate getting his ass kicked. This honestly surprised her, she assumed he lived to see moments like this. “Inuyasha?” He looked up to see Miroku breathing heavily with his left hand tapping the mat. His right hand had been pinned against his shoulder, as Sango gripped his right leg between hers at an almost unnatural position. Pure, unadulterated joy radiated from Sango at her victory; she unceremoniously dropped his leg and let out a guttural victory cry, shaking her hands in fists over her head.

Kagome had just turned to see Inuyasha’s reaction to Sango’s taunting when she realized she was now alone against the gym wall. She hadn’t even heard him leave, and was a little disappointed that he hadn’t said anything to her. Her eyes scanned the room for him, but he was definitely gone... 

Okay. She was  _ really  _ disappointed he hadn’t said anything to her, but he didn't owe her any explanation. They’d just met a few months ago; they texted occasionally and saw each other at the gym, and while she would have liked to think they were friends, they were still just close acquaintances. 

“Hit the showers real quick, pick up some grub, then head home?” Sango called to her, promptly taking a large drink from her large purple Hydro Flask.

“Sure! We deserve a delicious dinner after our hard earned victories.” Kagome flashed a large grin, allowing herself to revel in her achievement once more, forgetting all about the man’s questionable disappearance.

The pair quickly showered and dressed into matching grey sweatpants with the Moriya gym logo down the outer thighs, and Moriya logo tank tops.  _ Perks of being a family member of the owners, you get free classes and merch, _ Kagome mused. She tossed her sweaty workout clothes into her compact duffel bag and with a nod from Sango, they departed the locker room. 

As the girls walked out into the dojo's lobby , they spotted Miroku and Inuyasha having a heated discussion, though neither girl could make out what was being said. Kagome could see Inuyasha holding up the hand she had fist-bumped just earlier, and his features screamed displeasure . They continued for a moment, before Miroku’s eyes widened slightly, tapping his friend’s bicep with his fingers. Inuyasha paused for a moment as he turned to look at Sango briefly, his eyes stopping when slate grey and blue eyes met.

Kagome recognized the look in his eyes instantly, as she had seen the same emotion staring back at her in the mirror thousands of times since high school. Panic. Her well-acquainted emotional friend at that point. Panic and fear swirled with an emotion she wasn’t sure of... disgust? He hadn’t had that look on his face before they fist-bumped. 

_Inuyasha was disgusted and panicked about his hand? What happened? Why would he be so-_ Her thoughts were cut off instantly as her flight responses were kicked into overdrive as her brain pieced what she witnessed together. That's the hand her skin made contact with. Was he disgusted with her?

That was the first time she’d touched a human male voluntarily in years, and it was a simple fist bump for _god's sake_. He touched her and had he felt disgusted by her skin as she so often did? Had he come to the same conclusion she had? That no matter how much time had passed, her body was repulsive after what it had been through? Inuyasha had touched her, and he was repulsed. Bankotsu had been right: anyone who touched her after he was done with her would be abhorred. The relentless noise in her skull lulled momentarily at her realization. Her own panic sickeningly rose in the back of her throat before words swarmed her mind and she suddenly lost the ability to keep walking. She simply stared at him as her fingers gripped the duffle bag strap on her shoulder, and it took all her will to simply keep breathing at a steady pace. He hadn’t said a word to her, yet the look in his eyes gave her all she needed to come to a conclusion. Why was his rejection _so painful_? 

She hadn’t had a public panic attack in years, and she had planned to keep that streak going.

But it didn’t work out that way.

Kagome's breathing became ragged; she shoved her hand into the duffel bag to quickly grab her emergency anxiety medication. She was only allotted 2 pills a month, and since she hadn’t needed to take them as frequently, Kagome had about a quarter of a pill bottle's worth ready for moments like this. She grabbed one and quickly dry swallowed it, silently whimpering as she reached out to touch Sango’s shoulder. 

Sango was about to open her mouth with a quip at Miroku when she felt Kagome’s faint touch on her shoulder; as she looked at her friend, her sister, and saw the look on Kagome’s face, they both knew what was coming. Sango reached her own hand outward and squeezed Kagome's before she nodded and gestured her head back towards the locker room. Kagome wasn't able to stop the sob that escaped her; she quickly turned, and with a speed she didn’t know that she possessed, ran back into the women’s locker room and locked the door. 

Kagome bit into her closed fist and let out a muffled scream as the room felt like it was crumbling down around her. Her eyes were open so wide that the whites of it were completely visible around her irises. She felt her chest heave heavily as if her lungs were deprived of oxygen, but no matter what she did, she felt like she couldn’t catch her breath; it was endless suffocation. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she gently rocked herself with her arms crossed over her chest to keep her grounded. Her nails dug into her arms, but she didn’t feel the pain. 

“B-b-breathe. You’re sitting in a l-locker room-” Her voice broken between hiccups as she sobbed. “There’s a bench-- the w-wall’s behind you, lights are hanging above y-your head.” 

Kagome's quivering mumbles weren’t reaching her own ears, even though she knew that the words were spoken out loud. All she heard was the roar of her mind as it wailed its agony. Her therapist's instructions on grounding herself during a panic attack, to help herself calm down, had helped her immensely in the past, to drag herself out of her damaged mind. 

Deep breaths entered through her nose slowly and harshly out of her mouth. She repeated this as if it was her mantra as she continued to rock herself, feeling the back of her head gently hit the wall.  _ Breathe _ . 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

“This is.. bad…” Miroku said matter of factly after Inuyasha showed his roommate his clawed hand and he had inspected it thoroughly. There wasn’t any explanation as to why Inuyasha’s hand suddenly wasn't concealed like the rest of his body. The pair argued back and forth about what to do until the girls walked out of the locker room. 

He looked at _her_. It wasn’t her fault the damn concealment charm decided to go haywire at the worst possible time. Inuyasha could smell her anxiety and self-doubt before either manifested over her features. He knew what she had gone through, albeit a condensed version, and he was finally understanding how delicate she was: a fragile bird he was compelled to protect before it fractured to pieces. And here he was, witnessing the cracks on the surface before he could do a goddamn thing about it. The smell of self-disgust was rising off of her body so pungently he became nauseated. _No..._

“Kagome… WAIT!” He ripped his hand out of Miroku’s grasp, hand outstretched towards Kagome, who ran towards the locker room door. Stepping towards her in haste, he was quickly grabbed by Sango’s firm grip and stopped dead in his tracks. He blinked slowly. He didn’t even have a plan on what to tell her; could she even talk to him during a panic attack? It didn’t matter. 

He needed to explain himself and he would let  _ no one _ get in his way. “Let. Me. Go.  _ Sango _ .” Anger flared in his features, his hidden youki flaring and just barely licking up past the concealment. Had he been without the spell, he knew the purple streaks would be beginning to stain his cheeks. “This is your  _ one _ warning, wench. I  **need** to talk to Kagome.” Sango stared at the claws, acknowledgment flowing over her features as her cinnamon eyes met his.

“ **Youkai.** ” The word seethed from between clenched teeth and her jaw muscles visibly spasmed. Her grip faltered before he felt himself being flipped into mid-air, forcing him onto his back. Inuyasha felt the air in his lungs rush to escape him as a small blade pressed deeply into his neck, a small trail of blood wrapping the edge of the blade. Her eyes scanned his features with a smoldering rage.

“Talk. You’re going to explain yourselves.  **_Now_ ** .” Sango’s words were cold. The restraint behind her words was sharp and precise. She wasn’t the fun victorious college girl from 20 minutes ago. It was as if a switch was flipped, turning her into a completely different individual. 

A loud sigh broke the tension of the moment as Miroku whispered what only Inuyasha could hear. “Fuck...what have you gotten us into now? Let me handle this.” The monk pulled a small paper sutra out of his back pocket and slapped it onto his friend’s left leg. Inuyasha promptly went limp under Sango’s frame, though his eyes reflected the same ferocity that she had shown him. He could rip her throat out in the blink of an eye if this sutra hadn’t immobilized him.

“Listen, he’s sealed under the spell right now so you don’t have to be afraid. But if you continue to harm him, you wouldn’t begin to understand the grief you would be putting on you and your family. He has an incredibly powerful father you’ve probably heard of… given your profession.” Miroku paused, grasping to find the right words to have Sango release the pressure on Inuyasha’s neck. “We genuinely mean no harm; I swear to Buddha. I think we have at least one thing in common: we’ve been assigned to protect Kagome.” 

Sango's eyes narrowed. “What do you mean **assigned**?” she hissed, releasing the pressure off of Inuyasha’s neck and quickly shoving the knife back into her bag. Neither man had seen her pull it out of it in the first place; she was good. “Both of you are going to stay the FUCK away from Kagome and me, understand? I don’t have time for your lying youkai bullshit right now. You can text me your explanations, if I feel gracious enough to respond, I will. I need to go check on her. You **_will_** be gone by the time we are leaving.” Her head shook in disbelief at the pair of men in front of her before lifting her bag over her shoulder. 

“This is staying between us for the moment; Kagome doesn’t know demons are real and it's going to stay that way... She has enough of them in her head.” The last sentence was said in a much softer tone as Sango walked to the locker room door and lightly knocked. “If you come near us before I am ready, I  **will** kill both of you.” Her brown eyes zeroed onto Inuyasha’s grey with disdain one last time before knocking on the locked door again and disappearing inside the room. 

Miroku reeked of defeat as he leaned forward and ripped the sutra off of Inuyasha’s leg and crumpled it into his hands. “I... I think death is the preferred option here. Death is a more viable option than letting your father know we’re now failing miserably. I’ll give him a call when we’re in the car.” 

Inuyasha remained silent, still lying on the floor as he stared up into the ceiling, listening to Kagome sob. It was destroying him, knowing that he had caused it; his demon side was screaming to somehow fix it, his youki flaring wildly around him. He needed to go destroy something. A low whine escaped his chest before he rose to his feet and walked out of the building. 

Miroku barreled through the doors after him, frantic to keep an eye on the volatile inu youkai, he scanned the rooftops, spotting long black hair stark against the reds and oranges of the slowly fading sunset. He knew better than to make an attempt to catch up, Inuyasha was most likely headed back to the apartment, if not a convenience store to buy lots and lots of alcohol to dull the feelings Miroku knew Inuyasha was trying his damnedest best not to experience. The damn hanyou tried his hardest to act tough and not give a shit about the people around him, but Miroku could tell Inuyasha was putting more effort into getting to know Kagome than any of his previous contacts or assignments. It was a breath of fresh air, to be honest. 

Miroku pulled out his phone, tapping the first contact on his favorites list ‘Papa Taisho’, pinching his brows together in frustration at the thought of how the conversation he was about to have was going to go.

“Taisho-sama? I’ve got some bad news.” 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Kagome wasn’t sure how long had passed when she heard Sango’s muffled voice outside, followed by gentle knocks and she threw herself off of the floor to open the door, gently pulling it open to see her friend’s soft gaze. 

“S-Sango...” Kagome sobbed as she was pulled into the woman’s strong embrace, one of Sango’s hands went to the back of Kagome's head, lovingly stroking her hair. Her crumpled frame was gently pressed backward as Sango walked inside the room and locked the door again. 

“Hey girl, are you okay?” Sango's words were smooth as silk against Kagome’s battered mind, and she took a deep breath in the familiarity of her best friend’s comfort. 

“I… I-I don't know.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all! I realize that the US education system is probably different than the Japanese education system, but I want Kagome to suffer just like I did with calculus even if she didn't need it for a degree. There's probably a lot of inconsistencies in my works with Japanese culture for which I apologize! It's my first story and I'm just trying to roll with what I know! 
> 
> Thank you Fawn_Eyed_Girl, Lavendertwilight89, and Karina for all your help on my work!!

It had been weeks-- weeks since they’d spoken via text or been in each other's presence. Inuyasha had slowly become a fidgety, grouchy asshole that Miroku damn near avoided being around, given his tendency to explode at even the minor inconveniences. Miroku knew that the hanyou had been acting that way in an attempt to control his own frustrations and feelings over the guilt of putting Kagome in a state of distress, but it was making them both miserable. It fucking sucked, and the monk had been slow in making progress regarding talking to Sango about the whole situation and attempting to find a resolution. They tried talking about youkai and Kagome over text, though it had been as vague as possible, just in case. 

Kagome had avoided both Miroku and Inuyasha, simply emotionally unavailable to deal with either man. She had taken a small break from classes, submitting her assignments online, emailing teachers back and forth while keeping up on her reading. She hadn’t really left the apartment as she slowly stitched herself back together again after the fiasco at the gym.  
Sango had taken care of grocery shopping and acquired whatever her sister needed, which happened to include a lot of comfort food. It wasn't the first time Kagome had shut down on her, and Sango knew that she would bounce back. Each setback had taken her less and less time to recover from, though this time Kagome had stopped going to the gym altogether and took to exercising at the apartment. 

Sango sighed as she unlocked the multiple deadbolts on the door before turning to look at Kagome on the couch, watching her quietly nibble on snacks while she read her textbooks. 

“I’m gonna head out and run some errands, Kagome; text me if you need anything and I’ll come home, alright?” 

“Mmmmmhm,” Kagome responded in a sing-songy voice, despite her concentration, while she kept reading her psychology textbook. Spring finals were in a few days, and the girls were neck-deep in school work. General Education requirements were frustrating Kagome, and she had postponed taking her final math class as long as possible. But with only a semester left before graduation, she couldn't do it any longer. Calculus I, Behavioral Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Abnormal Psychology were her finals this round and she had been studying as much as possible during her ‘involuntary break’. These finals were going to be rough. 

Sango nodded and quietly slipped out, locking the door back up. Then she guiltily slinked up the stairs to the apartment she now knew was home to her crush and his hanyou roommate. Hanyou. How had she not noticed before? Kirara was a Neko demon that had been in the family for generations; surely she should have noticed a youkai and their tendencies? She wasn't sure what type of hanyou Inuyasha was, given that she had only seen his claws, but Sango could surmise that he was some sort of predatory type. This was the first time that they were meeting in person since the fiasco at the gym. 

Before Sango knocked on the door, it swung open, allowing her to have a clear view of Miroku sitting on their couch in the living room. Arching an eyebrow, she gently kicked the floor with the tip of her shoe, adjusting the dagger laced with paralyzing poison in her combat boot before stepping inside. 

The door practically slammed shut behind her, and she twisted her body around to see Inuyasha, though not how she had initially met him. He wasn’t wearing the typical necklace that she had always seen him in, which apparently was also his concealment charm. His silver hair was a surprise, though he had the same strong handsome features as before. When she met his gaze, she hadn’t expected golden smoldering eyes glaring at her from the corner of the room beside the door. His velvety ears looked incredibly soft, and she deduced that he was either a dog or cat hanyou. 

“Cat?” Sango knew they looked more like dog ears, maybe like an Akita or samoyed, but she couldn’t resist the urge to fuck with the man who had caused her sister’s panic attack a few weeks prior. 

Indignation instantly spread over his face as he scrunched his nose and his glare towards her intensified, his ears had completely pinned against the back of his head. “Dog. I ain’t no fuckin’ cat.” 

“Huh. Usually, I have a knack for spotting pussies when they’re in the room. My mistake.” Sango shrugged as she placed an index finger on her lower lip and turned to walk to the couch, stepping towards Miroku with determined strides. She ignored Inuyasha behind her as he tensed and flexed his claws menacingly, having been infuriated at the audacity of their guest. 

“You’re perfect, Sango. Ab-so-lute-ly perfect,” Miroku announced and beamed in pure adoration as he grinned at her. Sango sat at the opposite end of the couch, careful to sit outside of the range of his grabby hands. She sent him a cold look before crossing her legs and clearing her throat. Holding her hand in the air, Sango began to speak, ticking her fingers off at each point.

“So let’s get this straight:  
1.You guys are lying, deceiving, conniving, manipulative assholes.  
2\. Kagome is in danger.  
3\. Half-breed boy over there is the son of the great Inu no Taisho and finally  
4\. You’re the charisma of the operation?” 

Sango looked over to Inuyasha before settling back on Miroku’s admittedly gorgeous face, her eyes entranced by violet for a moment before scowling in irritation. 

“Yeah, that's the gist of it. We’ve been assigned by the Lord of the West to make sure the Meiotori don’t get their hands on a powerful Miko like Kagome.” Miroku’s tone had taken a serious note and genuine concern was evident in his gaze as he leaned toward Sango on the couch. 

Sango snorted in response. “Kagome has never exuded an inkling of reiki since she moved in with us. We have spiritualists in the ranks of the Moriya slayers. We would know.” 

“Speaking of—what the hell do you slayers do nowadays? Most low-level youkai have been wiped out.” Inuyasha's silence finally broke; his glare was unrelenting as he kept his place by the door, with arms crossed over his chest. 

Before Sango could speak, Inuyasha opened his mouth once again, his tone heated. “Also! How the fuck does Kagome not know that youkai exist when her entire adopted family kills demons for a living? Did you keep her under a fucking rock? Were YOU under a goddamn rock, not knowing that she was a Miko being protected by your family? Or was that a lie?” Sango glared at him as his tone turned more and more accusatory.

“I...” Sango paused, briefly to compose herself. “How dare you? Why would I lie about that? My family felt that Kagome had been through too much already to be roped into our family legacy; we wanted to keep her safe. Who the fuck do you think you are? Who are you to speak to me about lies? It must be nice for you to only have to pretend to give a shit about her for the past couple of weeks on your assignment! I’m telling you that I had no idea Kagome was in danger, and if I did, it wouldn’t have changed a SINGLE thing. I’m here to protect her. She’s my sister and we’re best friends; that must be a foreign feeling for you. I can’t imagine you have any of those.” 

Inuyasha scoffed his angry scowl now a permanent feature, appearing outwardly indifferent to the jabs at him. He'd had years to steel himself against verbal attacks, but inwardly he was howling in anger. She was right, after all. He hadn’t even known Kagome existed until 11 weeks ago. It wasn't his call when or how to protect her all those years ago. But, what was he even doing back then? Anything of importance? Goddammit, why did it matter all a sudden? 

“Will both of you cut it out? Get over your complexes! We’re here because we need to work together.” Miroku’s stern tone had both the hanyou and taijiya snap to attention. Sango guiltily looked at the floor briefly, while Inuyasha kept his signature scowl and turned away from them both as he walked past to lean against the window frame at the opposite end of the couch. He kept his ears turned to their direction, though, to listen in to the conversation despite the clear attempt to look like he didn’t give a shit. Miroku gestured for Sango to continue.

“I’ve had a chance to speak to my family about what’s happening, about why someone would want to hurt Kagome. My father was called to the Higurashi residence when Kagome and I were 3. She apparently had been running around the storage shed on the property, helping her grandfather, when she accidentally let loose a possessed mask out of the sealed box it was in. When they were dispatched and arrived, it had nearly escaped the shrine grounds. The slayers took care of it and befriended the Higurashis; they asked us to keep the existence of demons a secret from her. My family explained it to me that they wanted to protect Kagome, and to do that, it was imperative to keep her out of the loop. It was difficult for me to keep it from her initially...” 

“How did she unseal the mask?” Miroku asked.

“They weren’t sure; her grandfather wasn’t really paying attention to her while he looked for some old family heirloom. They were lucky to get out of the building at all before the Noh mask consumed them.” Sango shrugged. “It wasn’t anything out of the realm of possibilities for a little kid to accidentally open something like that.” 

“Why don’t we just tell her that she’s got powers and see what happens?” Inuyasha asked, having moved from the window frame to stand next to Miroku. He earned himself a hard smack on the arm from the man sitting in front of him for being too brash. The growl he emitted was not missed by either of the two humans in the room. 

“Inuyasha, you made her have a panic attack just from your confusion over the concealment charm haywire. She can’t handle being casually told she has some crazy Miko power that has demons—that she doesn’t know to exist—after her.” Miroku’s eyes flashed briefly with frustration before rubbing his forehead with his hand, dragging the appendage down his face before laying both hands in his lap. 

“She thought I didn’t like touching her, I mean if anything I—” The hanyou’s mouth snapped shut as he felt himself blush to the tips of his ears. Goddamn it. He said too much whenever it involved anything about that damn girl. 

“You will touch her over my dead body.” Sango’s words were laced with ice.

-_-_-_-_

Kagome sat back lazily on the couch as she finished her math homework, her fingers idly scratching Kirara’s neck at the top of the couch, Kirara’s tiny feline body laying in a loaf on the cushion closest to her. 

“Ohhh to be a cat,” Kagome sighed out. She had been off-kilter since her break down a couple of weeks ago. Sango had tried to tell her it was a misunderstanding: that Kagome had simply read too much into the situation; that Inuyasha seemed to actually like her. Yet, Kagome knew that look in his eyes, and it was too much for her to convince herself that he had been anything but disgusted that he had touched her. 

If he was disgusted, why did he offer his hand in the first place? A small voice in the back of her head chimed. Tears began to swell in her eyes as her mind fought back and forth. She firmly pinched her lids closed to will the tears to stop, but there was no point. 

“Okay, Kagome! You’re going to stand your sorry booty up, hop in the shower, will yourself to leave your apartment like a normal human being, and take a walk. Kagura always says it's good to get fresh air and go outside when you're down. You’re a big girl, you can do it.” She stood up, picking up small wrappers from the couch, and shoved them into an empty instant ramen cup on the coffee table next to the couch. She had been a mess, both inwardly and outwardly, for the last couple of weeks. 

Kagome hurriedly stripped in the bathroom, briefly looking at her body in the mirror, fingers delicately moving over the faint scars on her chest and abdomen, before looking at the dozens of variously colored sticky notes pressed along the mirror’s edges. They had been Sango’s idea, each one having a different motivational quote written by one of the girls.

‘You can do this!’ 

‘Breathe!’ Kagome let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding at this one.

‘Conventional beauty can suck your balls; you're gorgeous’

‘Don't forget your medicine OR keys’

‘Carpe FUCKING Diem’ 

‘Make healthy and happy choices’

Her gaze always lingered on the one intentionally plastered near the center top of the mirror. 

‘Kagome-  
You beautiful bitch, your scars are proof you are a survivor. I love you!  
-Sango’

That one always brought her a smile. Kagome just had to remind herself that Sango was right, as usual. Quickly showering, she threw on a pair of black denim jeans and a grey sweater top with a grey and pink banded scarf loosely tied around her neck. She didn’t usually take walks by herself, but it was early afternoon on a Wednesday and the park was only a couple of blocks away. It seemed like a nice escape from her self-imposed restriction from human contact. Kagome could get a drink from a vending machine down the block and relax in a beautiful snippet of nature amongst the endless streets of Tokyo. 

Normally, she’d text Sango if she was leaving the apartment, but Kagome had the realization a few days ago that Sango was her own person with her own life. Who was Kagome to take up so much of her time with her issues? She could go outside on her own for a short walk by herself. It’d been 8 years since her incident with Bankotsu, and it was high time she convinced herself that not everyone was out to get her. Double-checking if her pepper spray was in her purse, she grabbed her keys with the fierce determination that she could do this. Confidence was the key. 

Stepping outside, the brisk spring wind hit her back, causing her to shiver for a moment before walking down to the crosswalk a few hundred feet from her apartment complex, and waited for the light to change. 

Kagome stood at the crosswalk, her mind quietly squirming as she already regretted her decision. It wasn't easy being outside on her own, though she had walked this path hundreds of times with Sango since they both started college. There was just an uncertainty at being alone that caused her mind to tense up. Gripping her bag, she trudged forward to at least get something from the vending machine, like she had been determined to do before she left. 

-_-_-_

Inuyasha stared out the apartment window, scanning the streets below as Sango and Miroku talked about what to do before his gaze locked onto a familiar frame walking out of the apartment lobby downstairs. Kagome? Where was she going by herself? His hand shot out to open the window a little, allowing the scents from the street to enter the room, flooding his senses. 

Her scent was weak, but it smelled of unease. Inuyasha stared down for a moment, before sniffing briefly and turning his attention to a pair of ‘men’ down the block as they exited their vehicle, their voices muffled in the faint wind. Inuyasha’s scowl deepened as he sensed the youki of at least one of the men; it was weak as it was under what he could only assume was a concealment charm similar to his own. The hair on his neck rose as his vision raced to find Kagome again on the street. Fuck.

The hanyou’s posture was stiff, and with inhuman speed he rose, grabbing his shoes and snagged the concealment charm hanging off of the key rack near the door. Quickly shoving it over his head, he turned briefly as Miroku’s voice rang out, “Where are you going?” 

“Out,” Inuyasha gruffed, his voice laced with irritation as he pulled on his jacket and slammed the apartment door behind him. 

-_-_-_-_

Reaching the vending machine, Kagome pondered her choices as she sighed heavily, wondering why on earth she had decided to leave her apartment. It was cold and her hand rose to pull her scarf a little tighter against her skin. She searched for her options again and finally decided on Melon Fanta. The can of soda clattered to the bottom of the machine and she reached to grab it, that was when she noticed a pair of men smoking cigarettes down the sidewalk, busy in conversation with each other. 

One of them had what she could only describe as a dark shadow around him. Kagome had never seen that before, and it made her wonder what kind of black fog it was. Her eyebrows furrowed together as her anxiety began to skyrocket: Oh no. Oh no, no, no. One of the men made eye contact with her as he smirked confidently, his eyes dark as they raked across her. Her mind leaped to think of all the potential ill intentions he held in his gaze. Of course, this had to happen the one time she left her apartment without Sango. Kagome's breath caught in her throat as she tried to appear nonchalant and opened her soda. 

I’ll just walk to the next crosswalk, cross the street, and walk back to the apartment. It's only two blocks and you’re in public. Just text Sango and you’ll be okay. Her hand reached into her purse as she began to walk away and her whole body blanched, realizing that she had left her phone in the apartment. When was the last time she did that?! Had she ever done that? Oh god. Tears pricked her eyes as she took a deep breath.

“Kagome?” Said woman shrieked and jumped as her head whipped forward, not realizing the light had changed. Inuyasha was crossing the street, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, a small smirk on his face as he stepped a few feet from her. 

“W-What are you doing here?” Kagome's voice wobbled with uncertainty, as she glanced back at the two men, who had suddenly disappeared out of sight. She breathed in deeply, though she wasn’t comfortable quite yet. 

“I’m taking a break from work; are you going for a walk? Mind if I join you?” Inuyasha studied her features, noticing the bead of sweat slowly dripping down her neck; he briefly glanced in the direction where the youkai had been before focusing back on the slightly trembling woman in front of him. Her face was paler than usual, and she was already fair, to begin with, and her blue eyes glinted with salty tears. He could smell both the salt and the fear. Now that he was closer, the jyaki of one of the men watching them was evident in the air, and Inuyasha tried to take an inconspicuous deep breath in an attempt to engrain the scent in his memory.

He knew he had little proof that the youkai was indeed after Kagome, but as soon as he had hit the pavement outside, he could smell her fear from down the block. It took everything in him to not simply bound across the street to snatch her up in his arms and take her home. He had to play this cool. Youkai were all over the city after all, but the dark jyaki had caused even his unease. 

“Um. I think I’m going to head back to the apartment; Sango will murder me if she finds out I left my apartment without my phone.” 

“Lost your phone? Is that why you haven't responded to my messages?” Inuyasha failed pathetically to hold back the hurt in his voice, and he gruffly cleared his throat.

“No, I...” Kagome paused as she stared at the concrete below, willing the right words to somehow appear in front of her. “Y-You didn’t react well to me touching you, and I’m not sure how much Sango has told you about me...” She shifted her gaze to his chest, unwilling to look at his face. 

“Listen—I’m sorry about that. I’m not used to having people touching me, and from what I’ve learned about you from Sango you aren’t either.” Liiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaar, a voice in his head screeched, and he internally flinched. Inuyasha leaned his head forward in front of him to meet her gaze, but she darted her eyes back down to the sidewalk. 

“I don’t know the specifics, but no matter what happened to you… you're not filthy or unworthy of having contact with someone, right? If I ever find whoever hurt you, I’ll gut them myself for what they did.” His lips pressed together in a thin line as he brought a hand to the back of his neck, rubbing absentmindedly. What he said wasn’t a lie; if Inuyasha ever did find the piece of shit that did this to her, he’d kill Bankotsu slowly, though Kagome didn’t need to know that. She didn’t know that he was an abomination who could kill a person with a flick of his wrist. 

Her fingers fidgeted on the can she was holding as he spoke, wanting to believe every word out of his mouth. Could she do that? Could she trust him? Maybe he was the exception she was hoping for. 

“Oh...” she said softly. Kagome wasn’t sure just how much Sango had told Miroku, let alone Inuyasha. Damn. She was really tired of not being normal.

“I was...” He swallowed dryly while trying to build confidence to continue. “I was bullied a lot growing up; I got beat up pretty often when my dad wasn’t around. It took me a long time to think that a stranger’s contact didn’t involve pain.” Inuyasha stood straight and looked away, his cinder eyes had a distant look—like he was remembering somewhere far beyond the street. It was true: he was bullied constantly and beaten to a pulp more times than he could remember when his father was called elsewhere. Being Lord of the West took Toga all around the Japanese archipelago. Whenever he was gone, it was an ample opportunity to beat a little hanyou into the dirt. Inuyasha almost always healed before his father returned, and would wait to come home to his mother until the gashes and bruises would fade. Sesshoumaru also took a few opportunities to get his fun abusing his little brother, until once Toga came home unexpectedly and smelled Inuyasha’s blood under Sesshoumaru’s immaculately clean claws. That stopped pretty quickly, he had never seen their father so angry before. 

“I’m sorry that happened to you, no one deserves to be bullied. You’ve always been so kind to me.” She smiled softly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It meant a lot to her that he was being so open about his past.

Inuyasha snorted as he was brought back to the present, placing his hands back into the pockets of his black jacket. “Don’t let Miroku hear that; he’ll never let me live it down.” His dark grey eyes met her swirling ocean blue ones and for a few moments, they didn’t say a word, until Kagome broke eye contact and swayed back briefly, her free hand massaging her forehead. 

“You okay?” Inuyasha asked, concern evident on his features as he made the smallest movement towards her.

“I REALLY don’t know what is up with me, but whenever I look at you for too long I get dizzy.” 

Inuyasha blanched and nodded briefly. Mikos could sense concealment charms, and even see through them completely if they trained hard enough. “I don’t think anyone has been that affected by me before. Must be my undeniable charm?” Oh, it's a charm alright… 

Kagome rolled her eyes before sighing disappointingly at his terrible joke. “Don’t get too full of yourself. Miroku has more charm than you could ever dream of having.” 

His jaw dropped before he scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and Kagome giggled, biting her lower lip. Inuyasha’s stomach flipped at the sound before getting a hold of himself. “Let's get you home then, huh? I’ll walk you back to the apartment complex.” 

“Such a gentleman today.” Kagome grinned as it was his turn to roll his eyes and look away, turning to press the crosswalk button. Inuyasha felt his cheeks flush slightly; he couldn’t think of any point in his life where he had been called anything close to a gentleman. His eyes scanned the street, but the two youkai had disappeared. Their scent now stale on the air, Inuyasha frowned that he hadn’t noticed them make their exit. 

The pair made it to the apartment complex far earlier than either one had hoped, but neither Kagome nor Inuyasha had the confidence or excuse to stay longer in each other's presence. Stepping into the elevator they chatted comfortably before they reached the third floor. 

“We good, Kagome? You’ll actually talk to me?” He tried to put an indifference in his voice, and though he thought he succeeded, Kagome could hear a slight twinge of hope in his question. 

“Yeah, I think so… I’ll see you later, Inuyasha!” She shyly nodded her head before stepping out onto her floor, pausing for a moment before she realized he had stepped out of the elevator with her. 

“Inuyasha?” Kagome asked, confused that he was still around.

“I’m just walking you to the door, then I’ll take off, I swear.” The small scowl on his face was betrayed by his not-so-subtle blushing as he avoided eye contact with her. His goddamn demon half was screaming to make sure she got to her ‘den’ before he left her. As they made it to the door, his enhanced hearing picked up Sango’s pacing in the apartment within. 

“Okay, you’re safe. Later!” He practically sprinted down the hallway while Kagome watched him bewildered as he made his way to the stairwell and out of sight. 

Unlocking the door’s many locks with a growing smile on her face, it died when Sango ripped the door open out of Kagome’s hand, the petrified look on her face. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I’ve been so worried I almost called the cops! You left your phone, Kagome! You know you can’t do that!”

Kagome swallowed sharply. Shit. She could deal with forgetting her phone, but Sango catching her out alone was something she’d have to deal with for a while. She really had hoped that Sango would still be out and about with her errands. Kagome stuck her chin forward, a mock confidence gesture, as she promptly walked to the kitchen where she had apparently left the device. “Sorry! I went to buy a soda from a vending machine down the street and found Inuyasha. Then he walked me home. It won't happen again!” Kagome lifted the hand holding the Melon Fanta before placing it on the kitchen counter.

“Inuyasha? He found you outside? He didn’t touch you, did he? I’m going to skin him alive! I—” Sango was abruptly cut off by Kagome.

“I was lucky he was outside. Two creepy dudes were on the street. I swear one of them even had what seemed like...a dark aura? I know it sounds crazy. That's when Inuyasha met me on the street and we talked for a bit before heading back. He was so… nice, Sango.” Her bottom lip worried between her teeth at the end of the last sentence, and her hands wrung each other softly.

Do I trust him? ...I want to. 

\----------

Somewhere in the seedy depths of Tokyo, the two ‘men’ seen on the street stood in front of a glass desk, pristinely organized. A suited figure sat behind the desk 

“The girl had an inu youkai with her; we were unable to approach.”

“Inu youkai, huh? That damn Toga and his lackeys. Her powers are starting to awaken, finally. Soon it’ll be time to break the spell that damn Midoriko placed all those years ago. She’ll be so happy to be out.” Crimson lips smiled devilishly. 

“Let’s get the boys ready to move.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome relaxes after finals and makes an accidental discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Fawn_Eyed_Girl and Lavendertwilight89 for all your help!!! Love you guys!! 
> 
> *I still don't own Inuyasha and get nothing for spewing this story out of my head*

“VICTORY!!” Kagome bellowed as she and Sango walked into their apartment after classes, dropping their bags onto the coffee table with triumphant screams. Finals were completed. They had spring break to look forward to, which usually meant light traveling to fun tourist areas around Japan and finding the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants to eat at. 

“Umeshu and cheesy romance movies are in my near future,” Kagome sighed out as she flopped onto their couch. She had Sango go out and buy her favorite plum sake a few days ago in preparation for their spring break celebration, which Kagome planned to enjoy at home, mostly. 

“You enjoy yourself, I’ve got another date night! I’m gonna ce-le-brate!” 

“Yeah? You going out with Miroku again? You already brought him home to meet your family; must be getting serious.” The teasing tone in Kagome’s voice was harder to hold as she watched her sister’s face contort in horror at her words, furiously blushing.

“Okay, no, it isn't serious, and I didn’t invite him over to meet you; good lord, Kagome.” Sango sounded flustered, which caused Kagome to grin.

Kagome had mentioned to Sango what she saw when she’d been with Inuyasha on their walk earlier that week. She had seen a man with an “aura,” and she also told Sango that whenever she looked at Inuyasha for too long, she would get the weirdest sensation of vertigo. Truth be told, Sango had arranged the date so she could talk shop with Miroku about everything: demons, Kagome’s powers, whatever Inuyasha’s problem was... She wanted to get to know them better without the false accusations.

“Whatever you need to tell yourself, Sango.” 

Sango just snorted in response. Kagome rolled her eyes before shooting her a playful look. It was coy and knowing, her eyes sparkling mischievously even as her lips parted and her eyebrows raised in mock innocence.

“Oh. Oh, no. You didn’t have a retort. You’re actually hoping to get laid. I can’t believe you’re actually going to have sex with Inuyasha’s roommate.” Kagome teased merrily too high from the thrill their tests were done. “Well, be sure to wear protection, you’re too young to make me an aunt.”

“Kagome, so help me, I am not having sex with Miroku tonight, or any night in the near future. Do I need to remind you how often that man gets slapped for his lack of consent? We’re just going out to dinner.  **That’s it.** What about you and Inuyasha, huh? You two seem to be texting a lot!” Sango paused dramatically trying to egg out what was truly going on with her sister and the half-breed. “Oh, kids these days,” she added for even more dramatic effect. 

Kagome glared at her sister for a moment before sighing wistfully. “You know for a fact that there's nothing going on. I’m a little too…  **_yeah_ ** . For that. I’ll probably be alone for the rest of my life. 22 years down, oh…. Another 70 to go. I’ll just get  **a lot** of cats, can't be too lonely that way.” 

Sango frowned, hoping that Kagome was only half kidding, though she knew that Kagome had partially resigned herself to being alone forever. She deserved to be happy, find the right guy, and help her heal her past. Not that Sango wanted the half-breed to be the one who did it for her, but anything male-related was a step in the right direction. Kagura had mentioned baby steps for Kagome, and if she was comfortable texting Inuyasha, then Sango wasn’t going to stop her. 

-_-_-_

Inuyasha paced his apartment, irritated that Kagome hadn’t responded to his texts for over three hours now. Was she okay? Sango wasn’t there at the apartment to make sure, but he knew their doors were locked; they always were. He kept his apartment window open to listen below and catch her scent, in case she went outside like a few days ago because he was nervous about potential youkai waiting outside the apartment. 

He fidgeted, inspecting, and cleaning his claws while he leaned against the kitchen counter. She was fine. Probably. But he didn't know. And his instincts were screaming to make sure she was safe. He could take his third shower for the day as a distraction but quickly squelched that idea. When had he become such a mother hen? These damn inu youkai traits were driving him up the walls recently. His eyes caught at his apartment door; scowling, he threw on the concealment charm and felt his senses dull. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” 

-_-_-_

Inuyasha paused at the door of her apartment. He could hear music and slight shuffling of feet moving towards the door, and he let out a soft sigh of relief. He was sure he was overreacting, but goddamn did his instincts demand that he find out that she was okay. He resolved himself.  _ It's my job? I’m supposed to be watching her? I can do this.  _

He knocked twice and waited. He heard a faint breath at the door as she peered out to see who it was, and promptly threw open the door. Kagome was a hot mess. Her loose bun was basically a ponytail at this point, wild and baby hairs framed her lightly flushed cheeks. Kagome’s eyes were sparkling with an intensity that he hadn’t yet seen on her before as she met his gaze, catching him off guard. He hadn’t expected her to be so direct and look at him in the eye, Kagome’s glances were always fleeting, never bold and direct. Her long-sleeved sweater was off of her shoulders, and her shorts were barely long enough to cover her booty. What had changed with this girl? She was damn near a different person entirely. 

“Inuuuuuyasha! Hi! Whatcha’ doin here? Sango isn't back yet from her SEXcapade. Come in!” 

His expression was impassive, at least to Kagome, before he arched a brow and his mask let through a brief flash of disgust. “Well... let’s hope they’re not, for my sake. I don’t want to hear about it,” he muttered as he looked down the hallway, seemingly scanning the area. “I… wanted to check on you; you haven’t been responding to my texts.” 

Kagome happily twirled around to peer at her couch before marching over to it and promptly shoving her hands in the cushions. His eyes involuntarily zeroed in on the profile of her ass before forcing himself to look anywhere else. “Ohhhhhhhh, sorry. I kinda lost it.” A small wince grew in her features as she spoke, like she had just been caught forgetting to do her homework. 

Inuyasha huffed, leaning against the doorframe before stepping inside the apartment for a moment if anything to help her find her phone before Sango freaked out that she hadn’t responded either. Damn, they really must be in some deep conversation for her sister to not even send a text yet. He closed the door behind him and locked one of their many deadbolts. 

“You find it yet?” Inuyasha peered around their apartment while she was vigorously shoving around the couch. The space was… cozy. Warm. The cream-colored walls were covered in art, various pictures of Sango, Kagome, and their family. He stopped to look at what appeared to be a photo of the slayer family, Kagome and Sango were young girls maybe 5 years old, with one clearly sobbing Kagome in the front while everyone else was laughing in the photo. The edge of his mouth twitched.

“Found it!” 

Kagome unlocked her phone to see multiple texts from Inuyasha, each slightly more urgent than the last if the punctuation gave anything away. “Awww, I didn't know you cared so much.” She winked and poked her tongue out playfully, pausing to text Sango that she was fine at home. 

“Feh.” He couldn't think of an excuse. “How much have you had to drink tonight? You reek of booze, girl.”

The edges of her mouth curled slightly downward, tongue still poking out of her lips. Scrunching her features and squinting her right eye closed as she looked up in thought. “I’ve had.. 2?” She looked at the half drank cup on the table before she snaked her hand down to grab it and promptly finish off the glass. “Noooooow, 3!” 

Kagome rarely drank. She knew that and still kept drinking despite herself. It was easy to feel good when she had 1 or 2 glasses of alcohol. It made her relax and finally be able to be like the person she used to be, free of her trauma-ignited inhibitions. She used to partake more often, but Sango had stopped that habit before it had even started. She had made it clear Kagome wasn’t going to numb herself with alcohol and use it as a crutch in her recovery; it could have quickly become an addiction. 

“I think you might’ve had enough for tonight, Kagome. You don’t want to have a hangover tomorrow.” Inuyasha grimaced at the thought of his previous hangovers from hell. Being a hanyou meant more alcohol was needed to take effect, but oh man, it also meant it was difficult to know when he was done for the night. Inuyasha promptly grabbed the bottle of Umeshu off the coffee table and placed it on the counter. If he could distract Kagome, he’d be able to place it on the top shelf of a cabinet. She wouldn’t be able to reach it easily and then he could get her to go to bed. 

“But I’m celebra-ating, Inuyashhhha. One more! You try taking a ca-calculus final and not drink after.” Kagome visibly pouted before he sighed and shoved the bottle at her with a huff. This was the most carefree he had ever seen her, and damn if he wasn’t going to take advantage of that. 

“Only because I know how much of a pain in the ass calculus is,” he told her. “You think Calc I is bad, try passing Calc III with Organic Chemistry in the same semester.” 

“No thanks, you.” Kagome winked and lifted her pointer finger in front of Inuyasha’s face before giggling fervently, placing said finger onto the tip of his nose. She had meant to simply tap it, but it had somehow firmly planted against what she found to be his unnaturally hot skin. 

Inuyasha blinked repeatedly, his brows furrowing as he twitched his nose and looked from the end of her finger (causing him to go cross-eyed, furthering her giggles) to her face. Her finger reeked of the pungent smell of alcohol, mixed with the sweet fermented scent of plums. And, of course, her own cherry and linen fragrance. It was a bit strong, but Inuyasha thought she smelled delicious. Pulling back from his thoughts, he focused on her facial expression.

She looked... Amazed?  _ Oh no. _

“Whhhoooooa! When did you put in contacts! You carry them with you?!” Kagome lit up with excitement as she stepped closer and stared directly into his eyes. Her finger broke contact with his skin and hovered in the air in front of her as she held it out.

“What are you talking about, woman?” Inuyasha scowled; maybe she was drunker than he had thought.

“Your eyes are  _ honey _ !” 

Inuyasha mouthed the word  _ honey _ .  _ Oh FUCK.  _ Careful not to let his emotions show this time, he moved to step back, but Kagome reached her hand out at the same time to touch his face again. She missed, terribly.

The moment her small fingers made contact with the necklace around his collar bone, a loud cracking snapped through the air, the thrum of beads hitting the laminate floor was the only audible sound as they scattered across the floor. 

Inuyasha’s hands instantly went to the top of his head to cup the now-evidently visible furry appendages, staring at Kagome in shock, though (luckily!) her eyes were staring at the floor at the beads. The moment he felt the charm break, his demonic attributes flourished back to life. He felt his claws and fangs lengthen, and his eyesight sharpened considerably in the dim lighting of the apartment before him. Inuyasha could feel his youki unfurl around him as watched Kagome expectantly. He was sure Kagome hadn’t felt youki in its natural state, not dampened by any concealment charms. It was seemingly reactive to her, flaring up around her and strengthening in her direction, which left Inuyasha standing there increasingly confused. He’d never felt it react to really anyone before. Kagome’s whole body shivered involuntarily. 

“K-Kagome, I-” 

“Oh nooooooooooooooo!!” Kagome's eyes welled with tears as she dropped to her knees; she woozily reached for the beads and slowly began to pick them up. “I’m so sorry, ‘nuyash! I didn’t mean to break your necklace.” Tears were streaming down her face. “I always ruin everything. Stupid. STUPID Kagome.” Kagome’s words were sharp on her tongue, the venom in her words nearly stung him. 

“Hey, it's just a necklace. No big deal, okay?” Internally, he was screaming. He kept lying to her. How did this girl have the ability to simply touch his concealment charm and break it? He had that thing for nearly 200 years, but now Kagome breaking the concealment on his hand at the gym made so much sense. What didn’t make sense was that she didn’t notice his hair go from a midnight black to an otherworldly silver. It wasn’t even pulled up; just how upset was this woman? How was HE the calm one in this situation? If his dad could see him right now... 

“Nooooooo! You don’t understand! You won’t like me any more now that I broke it. I always ruin everything...” Her eyes were still covered by the back of her hands as she hiccuped, palms clutching the numerous beads she had picked up off of the floor. Sniffling, she turned her hands around and made feeble attempts to make beads stick back together again. 

“Y-You won’t like me anymore and all I w-want is for  **you** to like  **me.** ” Her words caused twangs of guilt and pain in his chest at their sincerity, and here he was: a lying half-breed. She didn’t even know the real Inuyasha. Not really. 

“Kagome...” Inuyasha sighed, dropping his hands from his ears as they laid flat against his head. He ruffled his hair over them with his fingers in an attempt to hide them from the drunk girl on the floor. He bent down, picking up the beads Kagome had missed, before holding his hands out for her to place the rest of her beads into them. 

“I’m tired Inuyashhhhhha. I’m tired of b-being broken.” Inuyasha’s brain halted processing the palpable pain in her voice. He was never known for being an emotional guy, and he had his own issues in his life, but her pain made his feel minuscule in comparison. He was overcome with this need to help her, to hold her, but would it even work? How does one… try to heal something like that? He still had his dad, he had his living breathing shitstain of a brother, and his psyche was relatively intact. She had been broken over and over, and for what? Some demon’s attempt to take a power that she didn’t know she had, presumably couldn't control, and would’ve been so much better off without? He still had no idea what her powers were, short of the whole breaking and seeing through concealments. How important could that be, really? 

“Sango worries about me all the time. She’s not my mom. It-snot fair. I just wanna get better. I wanna.”

“Kagome...” Could he say another word other than her name tonight? Fuck. “Sango takes care of you because she cares for you, not because you’re a burden, silly woman. You have people that care about you, and they don’t care that you’re a little… busted. They wouldn’t be around if they cared about that.” 

Kagome’s frame was wracked with silent sobs as she sat there before placing the rest of the beads into his open palms, eerily silent. Her lips trembled as she looked down at his hands before closing her eyes and abruptly shoving herself into his arms. Inuyasha was thrown off balance, promptly landing back on his ass as beads flew across the floor for the second time. He stared at the girl clutching the front of his shirt as if her life depended on it, unsure of how to proceed. She clearly didn’t like being touched when she was sober, but drunk Kagome looked like she needed to be comforted and she smelled so goddamn sad. Her sadness was permeating the air in a thick heavy gloom. 

He was the son of the Inu no Taisho for god's sake. He killed dozens of men and many times that amount of demons.  _ Stop being completely blindsided by a human girl. _ This was more difficult for him than he had ever expected; why couldn’t he just function like a normal person? What had Miroku called him? Emotionally Stunted? 

Apprehensively, just as his arms came to lightly support Kagome, Inuyasha was overwhelmed with the warming sensation of reiki, the air stilling in the apartment. The tiny woman gasped, letting go of his shirt as she scrambled out of his arms into a heap onto the floor, breathing wildly. “S-sorry I’m so sorry I’m just drunk I’m sorry I touched you.” Her words were slurred and spoken together a single breath. 

The disconcerted look on his face was difficult to hide, but thankfully Kagome had gone back to staring at the floor. Why had her reiki flared then? He’d never felt it before; honestly, he’d been expecting to be burned when the sensation reached his skin, but it felt… soothing? That was a first for him. Inuyasha had been purified in the past by dark Mikos while on missions for his father, and hell, even regular ones had attempted it once or twice. It hurt like a bitch; his youki was forced into hibernation outside of new moon nights, but this was completely  _ different _ . He almost enjoyed it. 

“Kagome, did you feel that?”   
  


“Feel what?” She met his eyes quizzically, eyebrows half raised. Inuyasha opened his mouth repeatedly, unable to find the right words. He wasn’t the person to be explaining  _ anything _ to her. That would be Sango and Miroku’s job; they were the talkers. He  _ did  _ notice her staring blankly at his ears this time.

“Nevermind, it's nothing. Get into bed. It was nearly 11 when I got here, and you’re tired.” He motioned to her bedroom, and her eyes widened nearly off of her face. 

“NOTHING LIKE THAT, WOMAN. Go to bed!” he barked, and she scrambled off the floor and ran into her room, closing the door. He sighed and rubbed his temples before grabbing a glass of water and trudging into the bathroom to grab the girl some acetaminophen. She’d need it. Inuyasha caught sight of himself in the mirror and groaned quietly. Kagome was the first human to accidentally see him without a concealment, ever. 

His ears caught the sound of footsteps approaching the apartment; he gently laid the bottle of pills and the cup on the counter before standing near the door and stopping to scent the air. His shoulders relaxed at the familiar (though slightly resented) scent of Miroku: Old Spice nearly smothered the underlying scent that was uniquely...him. It was almost an aged wine barrel smell, slightly sweet. How Miroku managed to smell that way even after a shower was an enigma to him. 

Inuyasha snatched the items off of the counter and headed back to Kagome's room, knocking quietly before listening against the door. She was asleep if her even heavy breaths meant what they usually did. He opened the door, placed the cup and pills on the nightstand, fondly looking at the unconscious drunk girl snuggled under the covers. He sighed heavily, pinching his eyes closed in frustration over how the night had gone. Yes, she was fine, but now she knew what he was, and when she woke up would more than likely find him disgusting. Could he handle that she most likely wouldn't speak to him again? 

When had it become more than an assignment for him? He was  _ so, SO fucked: he liked her.  _ She was the one person he looked forward to seeing every day, and sure it was initially because he had to pretend to be interested… but at some point that changed. Everyone: humans, youkai, hell even other hanyous, fucking sucked, other than  **_her_ ** . His father was going to be furious. Maybe finding someone else to watch over her would be better for her at this point. 

_ No.  _

_ I won’t allow it. I will protect her,  _ **_no one else._ **

Inuyasha balled his fists, his claws slicing into his palms as he strode to the bedroom door, closing it behind him. He was met by a plainly furious Sango and a smug-looking Miroku, who was leaning against the apartment door frame. 

  
“What the FUCK were you doing in her room?” 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much Fawn_Eyed_Girl and Lavendertwilight89 for all of y'alls help!! <3

Inuyasha wasn’t surprised by Sango’s heated reaction, nor by the fist that attempted to collide with his skull. He quickly evaded the attack and walked into the living room. “Oi, taijiya,” he said sharply, “I didn't do a damn thing. I checked on her, she was drunk, so I put her to bed. You can look to see if you think the  _ filthy half-breed _ is lying.” 

Sango questioned his intentions for a moment until Miroku mouthed, “He wouldn’t. He’s good,” as he gestured to Kagome’s bedroom. 

She didn’t bother responding, giving the hanyou a cold look before she sneaked the door open to see a slumbering Kagome with the glass of water and pills next to her bed. That was more care than she had expected of him, if she was being completely honest. Sango retreated from the door as she silently closed it, turning back around to the two men. 

“Where's your charm? Don’t tell me you forgot it upstairs in a hurry to get to Lady Kagome. She didn’t see you in all your natural glory, did she?” Miroku’s tone held poorly subdued mirth as Inuyasha glared daggers at him. 

“She broke it.” 

Miroku’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “S-she what? Oh shit. How? We’re going to have to call Shippou. Did she see you?” 

Inuyasha grunted, seemingly agreeing to each question Miroku asked without giving a true verbal answer. His brows were furrowed as he stood, studying the room. 

Sango watched as Inuyasha’s gaze locked onto the photo of Kagome crying that he had seen when he had first walked into the apartment. Why did it seem like everyone else was happy around her while she was the only one who suffered?

  
“Did she tell you about that picture?” Sango asked softly.

“No.. she seemed keen on distracting me from looking at it, actually.” 

“We were adding a room to the house so Kagome and I wouldn’t have to share a room anymore with Kohaku. We had this cat, Konkurito, a completely gray cuddle bug. Kagome and I still have pictures of him around here somewhere, but when we went up to see what was happening with the construction, father said ‘we’re putting konkurito in the wall!’”

Sango smiled fondly as the memories of the moment flashed in her head. “Kagome out of nowhere starts bawling her eyes out. EVERYONE is taken aback, completely confused. She starts yelling no, that we can't put Konkurito in the wall, she wouldn’t let us. It took our dad a second to realize she was talking about the cat.” Inuyasha could hear the smile in Sango’s voice without looking at her. He smiled, shaking his head. 

“That sounds like a Kagome thing to do, alright.” 

“Oh, you have no idea. She was upset for hours, even when the actual konkurito was safely poured and OUR Konkurito was sleeping soundly with us in bed.” 

Inuyasha remained silent, going over the night's events. He turned and walked to the apartment door, not bothering to look at Miroku as he exited the apartment and walked down the hallway. Now that Sango was back, he could go upstairs and pretend to sleep. He wouldn’t be able to stop going over the moment she broke his concealment, and the stress that plagued him afterward. Kagome knew what he was now. 

Sango paused, looking at Miroku, not expecting his shocked expression and her eyes stayed trained on his face. “What's that look about?”

“I...don't think I’ve ever seen him this way. Ever. Sango, he doesn't care about people. He just doesn't.” Miroku’s body was tense as he ran his hands through his bangs, taking his hair out of its low ponytail and ruffling through it. 

  
“He cares about you?”

“I’d almost say he was Stockholmed into it, or vice versa honestly. I’ve been his work partner for close to 5 years now, and sure he’s a surly bastard who probably scowls in his sleep, but this is all new territory for me. I’ve never seen him get this involved.” 

Sango snorted. 

-_-_-

Kagome stirred awake to the headache pounding against her eyes, and she could hear her pulse in her ears as she groggily sat up in bed. Everything was too bright. Her hands fumbled with her blanket as she placed her feet onto the floor unsteadily. She tried to recall what had happened the night before. She’d had a good time; she hazily remembered drinking her plum wine, eating too many snacks, and waiting for Sango to get back so they could continue their celebrations. 

The image of Inuyasha in her kitchen didn’t match her narrative, however, and she groaned, before panic hit her. Inuyasha had been in her apartment last night and she didn’t remember much, just an overwhelming feeling of sadness and regret. What had she done? 

Peering at her nightstand, she saw the slightly out-of-focus forms of the bottle of pills and glass of water. Greedily drinking the water and taking the pain meds, she stopped for a moment. Had Sango left these? Unease took over as she scrambled to remember what exactly had happened. Blurrily the memories were coming back to her, much to her happiness  _ and _ horror. She’d broken his necklace. How much would that cost to replace? She’d need to text him to find out. 

Why did her mind keep tossing her images of Inuyasha, and with silver hair, of all things? Why was she dreaming that he had golden eyes? What could that mean? There was no way he could have those naturally. People didn't have anything close to that beautiful color naturally. 

Kagome stood up and made her way into the living room. Sango would know what to do. There were no boundaries between them; she had barged her way in at all hours of the night previously from her nightmares and panic attacks. Kagome opened Sango’s door, expecting Sango to be sleeping; she wasn’t expecting a very naked Miroku sprawled across the covers.

“Oh. My. God.” Her hand flew to her mouth to cover her gasp as her eyes raced to find Sango, finding her standing next to the bed, clamoring on clothes as quickly as possible, while avoiding eye contact with her sister. 

“SANGO! REALLY?” Miroku’s upper body flung off of the bed as he was shocked awake by Kagome’s yell. “Wh-what?” His head whipped around the room; the poor man still looked unconscious. He pulled blankets onto him in a failed attempt to keep his modesty. 

Kagome had been kidding about the sexcapade, but Sango had apparently not. Blushing and thoroughly overwhelmed, Kagome closed the door to Sango’s room and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She took a brief shower to help quell her nausea and hangover, then ran back into her room. 

She needed to get a hold of Inuyasha to figure out what had happened last night. Groaning, she put her head in her hands. She hadn’t been alone with a man while intoxicated… Ever? She had woken up with clothes on, and it was Inuyasha, who she trusted, so she didn’t think anything could have happened.

She trusted him? When had that been decided? Another groan escaped her. She changed clothes and went into the kitchen, where she could clearly see one of the beads of his necklace halfway under the fridge. Kagome spent the next couple of minutes scouring the apartment for any missing beads, and decided to give them back to their owner. 

Miroku walked out of Sango’s room, fully clothed (thankfully), and with a satisfied grin. Sango was hiding inside her room, thoroughly embarrassed that Kagome had caught her Her sister obviously hadn't checked her phone this morning. He paused for a moment, waving at Kagome wordlessly before opening his mouth and closing it again, seeing the beads in her hand. 

“Can I follow you back up to your apartment to give these to Inuyasha? I feel terrible… “ Kagome squeaked out, guilt weighing on her. 

“Sure, I’m sure he’s wanting to put it back together as soon as possible. That.. jewelry is extremely important to him. I’m sure you saw him after it broke;I can't imagine how he reacted.” 

“Do you know how much it cost him?”

“To Inuyasha? That thing is priceless.” Kagome’s stomach dropped to the floor. Oh,  _ great _ . She had broken his priceless necklace that he apparently always wore. 

Miroku winked at her as he opened the door to the apartment, bowing while motioning Kagome to go first. “M’lady,” he smirked. 

Kagome’s expression flattened as she made a gagging sound, walking out of the apartment and up to Inuyasha’s, ready to apologize. 

-_-_-_

Kagome could hear Inuyasha yelling from down the hallway, and she winced internally. If he was this animated and angry already, how would he react with her? Had his necklace really been priceless?  _ Shit _ . 

“I don’t care if you have to send 10 of them, Shippou, get someone over here ASAP and fix it!” 

Miroku pulled out his keys, whistling nonchalantly as if this was an everyday occurrence and the yelling stopped momentarily, Inuyasha throwing the door open. “Miroku, I swear to god you—” 

His gaze paused on Kagome, her mouth hanging open; the remaining beads in her hand clattered to the floor. “It wasn't a dream…” she mumbled to herself quietly, Inuyasha’s ears picked up the faint words. He stood there, ears pinned forward, listening to her erratic heart rate and her shocked expression.

Miroku turned his head, puzzled at her lack of response. Then, the realization hit him that Kagome’s reaction was one of surprise, like she had never seen him without his concealment before. He had assumed she had seen the real Inuyasha last night… but apparently not. 

“Oh… Kagome, why don’t you join us inside for a moment!” Miroku chimed, far too cheerful for the current situation. He stepped behind kagome and gently pressed onto her upper back, gently putting pressure forwards for her to walk. Her body stiffened at the contact, grinding her heels into the floor before she elbowed Miroku in the stomach; she ran full speed down the hallway until she disappeared out of sight. Inuyasha could hear her footsteps thudding down the stairwell at breakneck speed. 

“Well, that didn’t go as planned. I need to remember not to touch her,” Miroku winced, holding his stomach with both hands as he pathetically walked hunched forward into the apartment. He left Inuyasha standing silently, staring at the now-empty hallway. 

Why hadn't he smelled her scent with Miroku? One moment he was yelling at Shippou for someone to come fix the damn necklace, and the next moment he was throwing open the door to pummel Miroku into the floor after he had oh-so-conveniently not come back to the apartment last night. Sighing, the hanyou stepped into the hallway to pick up the remaining beads, listening intently for any shuffling of feet or doors opening. He hadn’t picked up a spike of fear or panic until Miroku had touched her. Was she really not afraid of him? Granted, she saw him when she was drunk as a skunk, but he wasn't sure if she’d remember… 

“Fuck my life.” He stood and walked inside, slamming the door while sending a Miroku a pointed glare, youki smoldering around his frame. 

“Stop coming home after sex before you have a shower.” Inuyasha’s face was wrinkled in disgust. 

“Ahhhh, thank you. I know, real strong right?” Miroku grinned, lifted his shirt and inhaled, clearly stroking his ego. Miroku didn’t smell anything out of the fabric smell of his shirt and Inuyasha knew it. Fucking prick. 

“Not a compliment. You reek. Go shower before I throw you in myself; I’m in no mood for your shit.”

-_-_-_-_

Kagome burst through her apartment door, barreling into Sango’s room wide-eyed and her chest heaving from the run. “INUYASHA’S GOT EARS.” 

Sango blinked at her, having expected a rant from Kagome about finding a naked Miroku in their apartment, but… nope. That's not where this conversation was headed. 

“Yes, he has ears?” 

“HE. HAS.  **_DOG_ ** . EARS. SANGO.” Kagome reiterated herself, blown away at Sango’s lack of response, not quite realizing she had left the dog part out the first time. Was she fucking crazy? Since when had a human having dog ears become just a run-of-the-mill conversation? 

“Kagome, I know.” Sango stepped forward and put her hands on Kagome’s shoulders. 

“What do you mean you know? How is that possible?” Kagome blinked “Wait a minute, you  **knew** , and you  **didn’t** tell me?” 

“Kagome...” 

“What else haven’t you told me, Sango?” Kagome’s tone was accusatory as she analyzed her sister’s face. Creeping dread began to consume her at the thought that Sango had been keeping things like this from her, but she wouldn’t do that. There was no way. 

“Demons are real.” Sango blurted out, and Kagome merely blinked at her. 

“What? No they’re not, you told me they’re not.” Kagome shook her head as she said the words, and Sango felt guilt weigh heavily on her chest at Kagome’s denial. 

“They’re real. Our family has been slaying demons for nearly 500 years.” Sango’s words were nervous; she bit her lower lip fervently at each pause in her words. 

Kagome didn’t know Sango to lie to her, ever. Even still, panic rose in her throat as she stared blankly at her sister’s face, suddenly overwhelmed with the information she was just given her body slowly sank to the floor. “Inuyasha is one of them.”

“Inuyasha is a d-demon? ” 

“Well, he’s half-breed. Half-human half-demon.” 

Kagome slapped her palm to her face with a loud slap. “It’s’\ literally his name. How blind am I?”

“You’ve known this whole time that demons were real?” Pain was thick in Kagome’s voice as she spoke. Sango was the only person she trusted with everything she had. The rational side of her brain was telling her that Sango had a good reason, while the other half was ready to scream at the top of her lungs the betrayal she was feeling. 

“I know.. I’m sorry, father told me to keep it from you, otherwise, I would have told you years ago, I promise.”

She nodded, swallowing thickly while attempting to process what she was being told. “Was the necklace I broke, some sort of... Disguise? Is that why his features changed?” Kagome placed her head in her hands as she attempted to control her breathing, it had become erratic and shallow while they spoke. If she wasn't careful, she’d be spiraling down into another panic attack.

  
“Some demons have features that would make them... Stand out? They want to hide and blend in with humans, so they have to hide themselves.” Sango was gentle, rubbing Kagome’s back with the palm of her hand. It was a lot to process, and she knew that. 

“...oh.” Kagome’s brain was reeling, grasping at any semblance of the She's had so many things happen in the span of maybe 12 hours. The night before, she had been home alone drunk watching romance movies; she’d been happy and oblivious. Inuyasha came over; she broke his human camouflage and had a breakdown, and he still helped her to bed. 

Half demon? What did a full demon look like? How many had she met without knowing? Obviously, they weren’t all evil;, Inuyasha took care of her and was comforting, but he was half-human. Were all demons evil? Why did they have to hide? What kinds of powers did they have?

“Kagome, breathe.” 

Kagome blinked; registering Sango’s words, she took a deep breath. It would  _ almost  _ be easier to just have a panic attack at this point and be done with it. “I’m okay. I’m okay. Just a lot to handle, you know? Oh, here's a nice guy you’ve been talking to, and by the way, he’s half-demon, a living breathing thing from fairytales. They’re real. The nightmares you’ve had about evil beings in the dark are all real. 

“And you lied to me the whole time, Sango. You kept things from me.” Kagome's anger was taking over her initial shock. “I’ve called you my sister for as long as I can remember, but a real family wouldn't keep something this important from each other. How could you? I’m family, huh? Not family enough to be in on my ‘family’s’ actual livelihoods.” 

“Please, let us sit down and talk to you about it. I promise once Father explains—” 

“YOUR Father, not mine. Let’s make some distinctions, because everyone else sure did.” Kagome seethed, standing up from her crumpled position. “I must have been quite the joke to the rest of your family, huh?” 

She needed out of this apartment, now. 

Kagome's shoulders were stiff as she turned to walk away from Sango, towards the apartment door. She looked around her apartment, thinking of how all of it was built off of the idea that she had a family, one that she had trusted. She thought she had a sister. How much had they kept from her? Fuck, this hurt. 

Clamoring on her coat and purse, Kagome paused. “I’m leaving to get some air; don’t wait up for me tonight.” 

“Kagome, please wait, let me explain!” Sango reached out and grabbed her forearm. 

“NO! You’ve had nearly 18 years to explain this to me, and you're only trying now because you’ve been caught. Just… stop. Leave me alone right now.” Kagome pulled her arm out of Sango’s grasp and she escaped out of the door. 

-_-_-_-_

Kagome swung the heavy roof door outwards as she stumbled through it, taking off her flats to prop it open. She knew from experience that similar doors would auto-lock if she wasn't careful. 

Stepping onto the gravel-coated asphalt, she winced slightly at the rocks digging into her feet, but quickly stepped towards the raised ledge of the building and sat down onto it. She pulled her legs up along the ledge and took a prolonged breath. Her life was changing, forever, and so far it seemed far from for the better. 

The betrayal felt so, so heavy. She blankly stared ahead along the ledge, seemingly lost in her thoughts until the sound of the roof door creaking pierced through the air. She stirred, briefly looking around at the sunset sky around her, moving her neck and shoulders stiffly. How long had she sat there thinking? Hours, apparently. 

Kagome looked towards the door to see Inuyasha wearing a backwards baseball cap he was holding a white paper bag and a drink holder filled with two paper cups. Her eyes caught the curves of his claws and fear shot through her, her blue catching his molten gold. 

“H-hey, wait a minute before you get too freaked! I’m just here to bring you food and something to drink! You’ve been up here all day.” Inuyasha walked to her quickly, set down a coffee and the bag, then took steps backward to give her space. 

“H-how did you know I was up here?”

“Keh, woman, I can smell you from my apartment. You haven’t moved in a while.” Inuyasha let his pointer finger unfurl from the paper bag to bring it to his nose, tapping it. “Plus, I could hear you… crying.” 

“Oh.. that must be a youkai thing? To be able to smell and hear people when they don’t want to be found?” The false niceties of her voice cracked to raw sadness.

“Kagome, I’m so—”

“YOU’RE SORRY; EVERYONE IS SORRY,” Kagome screamed, throwing her hands up into the air. “Everyone is so  _ so _ sorry that they’ve been caught in their fucking LIES. No one was sorry before they got caught.

“Did you enjoy it? Does your kind relish in playing games with us puny humans, huh? You and Sango get a kick out of keeping me in the dark?” Her words dripped venom as she yelled at him, his body unmoving. 

“Sango is my sister. _ Was _ my sister. She was the person I could depend on no matter what happened. No matter the time, the place, or who was involved, she was there for me, and it was based on deceit. I don’t even know my own family anymore, No actually, hold on. Did I never know them? Since they apparently have a whole separate life I’m not good enough to know about? That APPARENTLY involves a whole other species.” Kagome's words shook, thick with emotion and rage as she wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks. 

“How do I trust now? Everything I’ve ever known isn’t real anymore. It’s been a facade.” Kagome quieted as she finished, her whole body softly trembling.

Inuyasha stiffened and cast his vision to the asphalt of the roof, reeling. She wasn’t wrong. His and Miroku’s whole job was to get close to her under a facade. Goddamnit; she was right and she didn’t even know this part of it. He was just one more lie added onto the pile of bullshit. He hoped that she could handle some additional truth today. 

Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha started. “Miroku and I were sent here to safeguard you against youkai that could...could be out to hurt you. I don’t know why they are. I have no idea why, but my dad wanted to keep you safe. You’re a shrine maiden: a Miko. You have reiki, just like I have youki.” 

Kagome remained silent. Inuyasha sniffed the air briefly to try to get a read on her, but there was a frightening lack of emotion to her scent. She had faint memories as a child of being told about reiki, shrine maidens, the whole deal, but she never knew that she was one. 

“So...you never even wanted to be my friend? That was all a lie too?” Kagome was empty. Emotionally tapped out. 

“Initially, you were a girl I met on the job, but now that I’ve gotten to know you… You mean a lot to me. More than my idiot roommate; more than anyone else.” Inuyasha couldn't stop the words spilling out of his mouth. He was uncomfortable with being so open and truthful, yet he knew that she needed him to be completely and utterly honest from this point on. 

She blinked, looking up at his standing form. “Why?”

He swallowed “Why...what?”

“Why do I mean more to you than anyone else?”

“I...don't know. You just do.” 

“I just do…” she sighed out. That wasn’t the answer she was hoping for, but what  _ had _ she been hoping for? At this point, nothing made sense. “How do I know you aren't lying now?”

“I NEVER WANTED TO LIE!” Inuyasha yelled. Kagome sucked in a gasp as her hands came back against her chest defensively at his outburst. 

“If you think even for a moment that I enjoy hiding, lying to people, you’re wrong.” She felt his eyes pierce straight through her. “Kagome, look at me. I don’t fit in. I’ve never fit in. Full-blooded youkai look at me like an abomination for being half-human, and…  _ fuck _ . I’d be stuck in an underground lab for the rest of my life if humans found out what I really look like, what I really am.

“That… ‘bullying’ that I told you about? It was because I look the way I do.” In one movement he pulled the hat off of his head and wiggled his ears at her, motioning his hand to them. Inuyasha paused, fumbling for words. “Fuck, Kagome. It’s been… rough. Keeping the truth from you, you have no fucking clue, but I had good reason to be scared to tell you the truth like I am right now. I don’t want to lose you. Your friendship.” 

Kagome paused for a moment as his words flowed over her. He cared about her? If he cared, though, he wouldn’t have lied... A frown marred her soft features as she looked to the ground below. Whatever her feelings about Inuyasha, there he was, talking to her and being so open, something that Miroku said he didn’t do with anyone. 

“How do I know you saying all of this just into you trying to keep your job going?” 

“Oh, god damn it. I wish there was a way for me to prove to you I’m not lying. Here. Ask me as many questions as you want, and I’ll answer honestly. All of them. I swear.” 

“What’s it like, being half youkai?”

“Better than being human, shittier than being a full-blooded youkai. I’m stronger, and I have a better sense of smell and hearing than the most skilled dogs. I’m older than your grandfather’s grandfather, though thankfully I don’t look it.” 

“That's... a lot. “

  
Inuyasha raised his hands out in a ‘what do you want from me’ motion. “It’s  _ a lot _ , but it’s more than I’ve told a human. Ever.” 

_ Human.. That's right, he wasn’t completely a human. Youkai are real.  _ It was her life that was a fiction. 

“How long have you been ‘assigned’ to watch me?” Her face held little emotion, but she held the world assigned apprehensively on her tongue. 

“Four months, give or take a couple weeks.” 

“THAT long? What the fuck? Do you know when I leave my apartment?”

“Yeah, not that it happens very often outside of you going to class or the gym. I prop the windows of the apartment open and can smell you when you go outside.” 

“You said you could smell me? What do I smell like?” 

Inuyasha flushed, briefly looking at her before averting his gaze in embarrassment. “Uuuhhh.. Y-you…”  _ You smell fucking amazing and all I want to do is shove my head into your neck and breathe for the rest of my life. _

“You smell… real good. Like… cherry blossoms and fresh clean laundry. Warm. When you’re really happy you smell sweet like cherries themselves, but uh... That hasn’t been often.” He refused to look at her, refusedrefusedrefused. 

“Oh! I didn’t know I smelled like that... I guess I like the smell of cherry blossoms?” She looked puzzled, wondering how she smelled like that in the first place. They were okay, not her favorite flower or scent by any means but she understood the appeal. 

“What does Sango smell like?”

“Jasmine and Lemongrass. Easy. When she’s pissed she smells spicy, like cayenne or some shit. Next.”

“Miroku? Miroku  _ is _ human, right?”

Inuyasha snorted and softly grimaced as his brows raised for a moment. “More pig than man I think, but yeah. He’s human.” She stopped frowning, but couldn’t bring a smile to life. He was joking and talking like her world hadn’t just shattered around her, but it was comforting in a way. He was still… him. 

“What’s your favorite color?”

  
“Red. Next.”

“Favorite food?”   
  


“Ramen. Next.” 

“When was your first kiss?” 

“Oh for fuck’s sake. Really, Kagome?”

“You said you would answer anything!”

“When I was 97. Next.” 

“You had your first kiss at 97  _ years old?  _ Just HOW old are you???” 

“I’m 293. No one likes half-breeds and it was the year concealment charms were readily available to youkai. Kissed a human girl at some festival. Next.” 

“You don’t remember her name?” 

Inuyasha’s eyebrow irked with irritation. Oh how he was tempted to lie. “No… it was 196 years ago, Kagome.” 

Kagome faintly blushed and looked away, mumbling under her breath. “Oh...You probably won't remember my name in 196 years, huh?” 

  
“What was that?” 

“You heard me, dog man. Apparently, you can hear  _ everything _ with those satellites.” She motioned to his ears; both swiveled attentively towards her, flicking slightly while trying to pick up every syllable out of her lips. 

“Satellites? Dick move, Higurashi. I can’t control how big my ears are, just like you can't control how ginormous your hands are. Didn’t peg you for the bullying type.” 

She immediately looked down at her hands, rubbing them together and studying them. They were small and dainty, just like the rest of her. Kagome frowned slightly, her anxiety spiking for a moment before she looked at him, immediately recognizing the amused glint in his eye.  _ That absolute dickhole is messing with me.  _ He didn’t sound upset in the slightest; a broad smirk crossed his face. 

“You’re an ass, Inuyasha.” She paused. “You remembered my last name?” 

He looked at her, confusion evident. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I? ‘Dog man’ here don’t forget the important things.” 

Pursing her lips to the side, she cleared her throat. “I like at least one ‘half-breed.’” His eyes widened as she spoke as Kagome fumbled with her words. “It’s the ears. Your ears. They’re cute.” Kagome spoke out of the side of her mouth, lips still pursed. 

Inuyasha broke out in a smile, knowing damn well what she had mumbled under her breath.  _ She likes this half-breed, huh?  _

He stepped the distance between them and lowered his head, seemingly wiggling his ears around. “I think this is one of the first times someone has described my ears as cute.” 

Frowning, she reached up and nearly touched one of the downed ears before she caught herself, and hesitated. The last time she touched him it had gone so horribly, horribly wrong. Her breath hitched and she was instantly met with concerned amber staring back at her.  _ He must be able to smell my emotions. Great. No secrets anymore. _

“You don’t have to if you don't want to; all you gotta do is ask when you’re comfortable. They’re just ears.”

“ _ Just ears?  _ Do you hear yourself? They’re adorable little dog ears!” Kagome’s voice raised a pitch in excitement before she caught the hanyou’s eyes as he simply blinked at her, unenthused. The faintest blush rose on her cheeks. Of course, Inuyasha was aware of what ears he had. 

Inuyasha blinked at her before grinning, his fangs hanging over his lower lip. “Adorable, huh? Well. Be gentle, they’re sensitive.”

“If they were on a regular dog I’d have no problems touching them. No, I’m gonna do this. it's just ears. Good grief girl, get it together,” she mumbled to herself.  _ He must relish in making me feel embarrassed…  _

Kagome’s eyes narrowed at him before she closed the gap and softly made contact, her fingers grazing the edges of his right ear. Instantly, her eyes began to glow with curiosity and elation as she felt the soft velvet under her fingers. “So soft…” Her left hand joined his left ear as she lightly massaged, and Inuyasha couldn’t help but stare at her. He had never seen her so happy before, even the night before with her imbibed excitement it seemed… synthetic. Like she needed the liquid courage to try to be relaxed or content with him in the room, which he knew was true nonetheless, but his primal need to have her be  _ actually _ happy was terrifying to him. 

It wasn’t his fault that so much had happened to her, yet he felt culpability nonetheless. It hurt him; his chest twanged with guilt. Damn Inu proclivities. He was going to protect her, no matter what. Even if Kagome didn’t think that she needed the help, he would be there for her, and even if she didn’t want him to be, tough shit. He was in it for the long haul now, if nothing but to see her smile. None of that half-hearted smiling or feigning happiness. Genuinity. 

“Kagome, I’m going to keep you safe.” 

Kagome looked down from her current target of affection, ducking her head down to peer into his eyes questioningly. The tiniest gasp escaped her mouth, completely blindsided by the amount of emotion he held in them. She was nearly overwhelmed at the sheer force of his gaze at her. 

“Safe… From what?” 

Inuyasha studied her face for a moment, from her soft, pink lips back up to her swirling ocean eyes. 

“From everything.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Y'all! 
> 
> I just wanted to add that I have a tumblr that I post my story announcements on and brief snippets of the next chapter :) it's also anxietyaardvark 
> 
> Thank you so much to Fawn_Eyed_Girl and Lavendertwilight89 for all your help!

“Protect me from everything, huh? That’s a bit steep of a promise, Inuyasha.” Kagome smiled softly as she spoke. Maybe her life changing so much wouldn’t be so bad if he was there to help her through it. She still had to deal with Sango betraying her trust, but at the moment she was content merely talking to the silver-haired man in front of her, even if he was part of the problem to begin with. He had lied to her just as Sango had, though his lies felt more...understandable. Inuyasha had to hide almost everything about himself to blend in with humans. Her adoptive family on the other hand...they had to explain themselves. 

Inuyasha shrugged, maintaining his eye contact. “Comes with being an Inu Youkai. We’re protective. Next.” 

“A dog demon… How many types of youkai are there?” 

“Uuuuhhhh… off the top of my head, a couple thousand? Minimum? If there’s an animal there’s more than likely a youkai manifestation of it. Next.” 

“Oh my god. Fairy armadillos. There’s a fairy armadillo demon somewhere.” Her eyes glowed with excitement, picturing the fluffy little pink creatures, just.. Giant. Giant, huggable, fluffy pink armadillos. Her hands clapped together in excitement as she pictured the pink shiny back of the giant over-sized animal coming to help in a bounce that she could hold like a giant body pillow.

Inuyasha stared at her, bewildered. “I’m… not… sure what that is but... probably? Whatever it is, it’s not as cute as a demon I can assure you.” 

“It was the silliest animal I could think of. Trying to make light of a bad situation, I guess?” She winced slightly, dropping her hands from Inuyasha’s ears and already missing the contact. That was a sentiment she hadn't experienced in a long while, and she felt an excitement that she really was making progress. She touched a guy! Granted, it was his adorable dog ears… and those aren’t generally normal on all males, but she’d take it!

Her vision drifted downward, and Kagome stared at the back of her hands before placing them back into her lap. 

“Why... why did you look at your hand the way you did when we fist-bumped?” That had been one of the worst days she had recently, and the sting of what she thought was disgust had ebbed away with time but now understanding what he was and what  _ she _ was somehow capable of, Kagome felt compelled to find out just exactly why he had reacted with fear at their first actual contact. 

“You somehow caused the concealment charm to malfunction, and my claws were showing. I didn't want you to be… scared of me, so I left to go find Miroku. I was upset. Didn’t know what to do since it’d never happened before. I still feel terrible about how that night played out. Then you somehow totally broke my actual charm without any effort… Next.”  _ I was also freaked the fuck out that you could do that just by touching me. What is with you, woman?  _ Though he’d never admit it. If her powers were that strong while they were concealed somehow, just how powerful was this girl? He knew of powerful mikos in the past: Midoriko, Tsubaki…a handful of others. Kikyo was the most current priestess he knew now in the present, but he’d never heard of anything like what Kagome has. He needed to talk to his father, or Kikyo: someone with knowledge that he simply didn’t possess. 

“We gotta figure out how you have powers,” Inuyasha said to her, “and why you’re just now experiencing them. I know some priestesses it comes with a coming of age… but you should be past that by now. Sango told me you saw the youki of the man on the street a few weeks ago; what did it look like?”

“It was an awful green-black color, I thought I was imagining things. That guy...was he a demon?” The fear in her voice was spiking as she acknowledged her words; Kagome swallowed the bile rising to her throat. 

“Yeah...that’s what I saw too,” Inuyasha replied. “He smelled horrible, like rotting flesh almost. I don’t know what he was. They were why I came out to meet you on the street and why I walked you home.” Briefly pausing. If he hadn’t followed her who knows… No. He couldn’t think like that. He may have had a job to protect Kagome, but now it was personal. His heart and mind both were screaming in unison he would always be there for her. “Next.” 

Kagome shivered against the slight wind, pulling her jacket up tighter against her neck. Springtime in Tokyo meant colder nights, and all she had for warmth was her flimsy coat, which was good for daytime excursions but provided little warmth once the sun set.

“Do you want to go back to your apartment? If you’re uncomfortable talking about it, we can just call it a night.” Inuyasha awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. If she was scared, she should go back to her apartment where she was comfortable. 

“No!” Kagome exclaimed, reaching her hand out towards him. “I don’t want to be around Sango. Finding out that she’s lied to me my whole life... I just... I can’t right now. I’m just a little… cold.” 

He nodded, watching her face sadden in the dying light. “Well. If we’re staying up here, let’s get comfortable, huh?” He stood up and peered down the edge of the building, briefly scenting and looking for any humans walking below, and placed his hat back on.

Inuyasha turned his head to look at her once more. “I’ll be right back.” A fanged smirk grew across his face before he dropped off the edge of the building, disappearing out of her sight.

“Inuyasha!!!” Kagome’s scream escaped her before she realized she had even made a noise. Within seconds he had jumped back up onto the roof, balancing effortlessly on the building’s ledge. Kagome was awed and envious of how graceful he was. Before realizing what a jerk he was for scaring her like that.

“Fuck, woman! Shhhhhhhhhhh!” The hanyou brought a pointer finger up to his lips as he hissed his words at the distressed woman in front of him. “Do you want every living thing in Tokyo to hear you? Quiet! I’m just jumping down to my apartment!” 

“Well excuse me! Not everyone just leaps from buildings you know!!”

He grinned a cocky smile again, “Not everyone is like me.”

Taking the leap again, he jumped back down below before she could respond, subsequently hearing a muffled scream. Kagome looked down to see a coffee cup flying out of what was assumedly Miroku and Inuyasha’s apartment, making her question what the hell she had gotten herself into. 

-_-_-_

Inuyasha landed silently on the apartment living room’s window frame; he pushed the rest of the window open and climbed inside. 

Miroku walked out of the bathroom, holding his tea in one hand, with a small old-looking book in the other, before he jumped at the sight of Inuyasha, gasping loudly and dropping the cup, spilling it all over the floor in fright. He had seen Inuyasha leave a couple of hours ago to go talk to Kagome, and back then, his roommate had clearly used the door. 

“Oh FUCK YOU Inuyasha, use the damn door!” Miroku leaned to pick up his now empty cup, and promptly threw it at the hanyou, who avoided it with minimal effort as it sailed through the open window. 

“Oi, Bouzu; I live here, I can come in however I want. Jealous you can’t use the window?” Inuyasha spoke the words over his shoulder as he grabbed the blanket off of his bed, piling on the quilt folded at the foot of it, and shoved pillows under his arms as he made it back to the windowsill. Inuyasha kicked off his shoes and socks as he moved. 

“Pfft. Ohhhh, someone in a hurry? You getting all comfortable with Kagome somewhere? Can’t wait to tell your dad.” Miroku’s eyebrows waggled as an absolute shit-eating-grin spread across his face.

Inuyasha scowled before turning around and glaring at the smug violet-eyed man across the apartment. “Not a word, Miroku. Not yet.” The enunciation of each word gave Miroku little imagination of what Inuyasha would do if Miroku had the audacity to contact the Inu no Taisho first. Instead, he promptly shut his trap as Inuyasha leaped out the window in the blink of an eye. 

Miroku sighed, resigning himself to make a new cup of tea.

-_-_-_-_

Kagome sat, leaning her back against the raised edge of the roof as the sun began to set, the lights of Tokyo giving the sky a hazy glow despite the sun’s absence. She was getting cold now, feeling goosebumps rise over her skin. Maybe she really should have gone back to her apartment, despite not wanting to see Sango. There was a blur of color in the corner of her vision, causing Kagome to yelp as Inuyasha landed silently next to her. 

“You scared me! How are you  _ so  _ quiet!?” She studied him for a moment before he paused, watching her. Before she could react, he tossed a thick blanket and pillow at her, hitting her squarely in the face. With a ‘humph,’ Kagome pulled off the blanket, glaring at the abso-lutely smug-looking man. She huffed before quickly unfolding the blanket and wrapping herself in it. Inuyasha dropped a pillow onto the asphalt floor of the roof and dropped unceremoniously down onto it, folding his legs. 

“Are these… yours?” 

“Uh... yeah? What of it?” 

“N-nothing!” Kagome squeaked, visibly embarrassed as he cocked a brow at her. “I just... haven't used a guy’s blanket before!” 

He stared at her.  _ What is she, 12?  _ Inuyasha frowned and scolded himself at how big of an asshole he could be.  _ She had an unbelievably traumatic thing happen to her when she was only 15, you insensitive prick!  _ He inwardly groaned, closing his eyes for a moment, before putting on a face of indifference. His mind needed to get the fuck out of his ass and quick. He didn’t need to scare her away again--not after they had already gotten so much closer.

“Well, there's a first time for everything,” he grinned. “You said you didn’t want to go home, and I knew you’d get cold, so here we are. Didn’t think you’d want the jacket off of my back, and no way in hell am I going to your apartment with an angry Sango inside.” Inuyasha briefly imagined Kagome wearing his hoodie, which would undoubtedly go down to her thighs, and it was causing a whole slew of emotions and urges to stir to life. Biting the inside of his cheek, he needed to squelch that idea damn quick. She wouldn’t be comfortable with it.

Inuyasha wasn’t sure what was happening to him, but suddenly, his patience with her seemed neverending, like he would wait forever for her to become comfortable with him when he would have previously dropped any other person with as much...baggage...as Kagome did. He definitely wasn’t desperate; having the concealment charm for so long gave him ample opportunity to have one-night stands. Opportunities he took when he was feeling lonelier. But that was all the sex was--just a hook-up. There was no feeling, no real kissing just sex at the girls place, sometimes at the bar when he found one. There were no sleepovers, no cuddling, no real emotion to it… Fuck, was he a shallow bastard? Not that the girls seemed to complain. Not really. What was happening to him? 

With Kagome, it was more about wanting to be around her than a fling. He genuinely enjoyed texting her in the past month and a half. He didn’t really care what people had to say at all, but he eagerly awaited talkin’ to her nearly every day at this point. Wanting to hear her laugh, smile, be happy, the need for that was his new priority. He hadn’t even so much as checked out another girl since Kagome entered his life. She deserved it. Kagome was beautiful, inside and out, and he was counting the days until he could prove that to her over and over again. It was like she completely hypnotized him and gave him tunnel vision. It was an odd array of feelings that were stirring within him that he’d never felt before. 

Kagome blushed hotly at the idea of wearing his clothing.  _ Yeah, like that’ll ever happen. Too damaged for that...  _ She cleared her throat, brushing the thoughts away. “Thank you; it was getting chilly.” 

“Yeah, whatever, it was the least I could do. Don’t thank me for doing the bare minimum.” His eyes roamed her for a moment, studying her huddled form in his mother’s quilt. “If you need my jacket, just let me know, though.” The edges of his mouth hinted at a smile as he looked down at the roof, suddenly very interested in the rocks that made up its surface. Inuyasha didn't want to look at Kagome’s face for her reaction. He knew she’d say no, but his overwhelming need to take care of her was nearly causing him to burst at the seams. 

He needed to talk to his dad. It wasn't that Inuyasha was dreading the conversation; he knew his dad would be understanding of whatever was happening with him, since it was undoubtedly youkai-related. It was whatever his father’s answer would be that had Inuyasha apprehensive. Was this permanent? Was he an over-attentive friend for the rest of his life? He’d rather die than somehow end up coddling Miroku. 

Kagome didn’t think she could get any redder, but here she was, blushing so hard she nearly matched Inuyasha’s hoodie. Thank god he was looking away. “Uh- I’ll be sure to let you know!” The awkwardness in her voice was prominent and she watched his ears twitch lighty at her reply. Gods--she hadn’t--she never thought that--he’d even offer that!

He simply nodded, eyes still averted from embarrassment. “Next.”

Wrapping herself in his blankets, she relaxed, leaning her back down against the pillow. Kagome brought what she now realized was a thick material quilt more snugly over her shoulders and examined the stitching. This thing was… gorgeous. The fabric had faded slightly, but was clearly lovingly made with extensive sashiko stitching across each piece of red and black fabric. Kagome’s fingers reflexively followed the stitching lines; to say this was an ornate piece wouldn’t have been good enough. The pattern grew into a form she was at least familiar with, knowing traditional Japanese art. A large dog adorned the quilt, running up into the sky on clouds. The dog was… massive, with a blue stripe across its cheek. 

“Where did you get this quilt?”

“My mother made it.  **Next.** ” 

“Was she human?” Inuyasha closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose and out his mouth, Kagome clearly didn’t get his hint.

“Yep. Father is an inu youkai, she was born royalty, but was stripped of her title when she got with my dad and had me. They were… ‘traditional’ back in the early 1700’s.  **Next… please.** ” 

“I still can't believe you’re that old. It's… unbelievable. Really. A week ago I’d say you were full of it.” Kagome drifted off in thought. Here was this man in front of her, visually around her age, yet nearly 14 times older. Kagome would die and be dead for centuries before he even looked a day over 40. It made her chest twang in an odd way to know that her life was so unbelievably brief, and he’d go on just as he did before. Why did the notion of that bother her so much? Inuyasha had become a good friend in the short time they’ve known each other, and Kagome didn't want him to be sad and alone when she inevitably died. Biting her lip, she swallowed to clear the dryness of her mouth and throat. The poor guy… He outlived everyone around him. No wonder he was grouchy. And his poor mother… She had missed the hint the first time when he growled. But it was clearly a sore subject. 

Honestly, she felt like an asshole. She lost her whole family and here she was, bringing up the loss of his mother who had outlived--not by choice. He clearly loved her since he still treasured her blanket enough to hold onto. 

“Have you gone to college?” She brought the thick quilt against her tighter as a slight breeze stripped her of her warmth. 

“It’s hard to go to college when you don’t have a birth certificate, Kagome. Not that I haven't done it, once they were easily forgeable my father practically forced me. I have degrees in Japanese history, business management but only because the old man demands I be part of his company and then another degree in computer science. I can also take apart damn near any car and put it back together better than it was before if that counts.” 

“That's...amazing. I’ll have to have you fix my car whenever it breaks down.”

  
“Kagome. You don’t even  _ have _ a car,” he scoffed lightly at her words. 

She winked, a playful smile on her lips as she looked at the silver-haired man across from her. He looked physically comfortable lounging on the pillow, yet so uncomfortable every time he answered her questions, like the man hated hearing himself talk. It had her wondering just how much he disliked having conversations in general. “Not yet!” she retorted gleefully.

Inuyasha couldn’t hold back the groan that came out of him before shaking his head. His ears swiveled at the sound of her yawn, and despite himself, he let one slip as well. What time was it now? It felt like they had been talking for hours. The sun had long since set and Kagome had progressively became more and more exhausted with each question being asked. 

“Do… you want to ask me a question?” Kagome meekly asked, Inuyasha seemed surprised at her offer, tilting his head slightly and she giggled as one of his ears flicked as if he was battling himself on how to answer. 

“Haven’t thought of any.” It wasn’t a lie; suddenly put on the spot, Inuyasha couldn’t think of a single question on his own. He wasn’t the conversationalist; people weren't his forte. Fuck. 

  
“Really?” 

“Favorite… color.” He spoke slowly as his brain ground out a topic, smacking himself internally.  _ Real fucking original _ . 

“Pink!” The smile in her voice was palpable as she answered, and Kagome couldn’t help but laugh at the embarrassed expression on his face. “Reeeeeaaaaaal creative, Inuyasha.”

“Listen—I don’t get out much. Ever.” 

“You have been out on a date before, right?” Kagome’s eyes widened as she looked at the suddenly interesting asphalt, just as Inuyasha had done earlier. 

“Of course I’ve been on a date before, you dolt!” His arms crossed across his chest as he scowled and looked away from her. “It's… just… been a while.” He pursed his lips as one twitched in irritation, and he pointed at her accusingly. ‘A while’ meant really never. Even when demon-kind was known, he didn’t get out much. It wasn’t until after his charm was creative he got more confident with women… and that was only because they had finally started looking. But at that point, he didn’t really want anything aside from a fling. God forbid any would find out his charm only shielded his ears from sight. “Ay! I’m supposed to be asking the questions anyway, woman!” 

Kagome shrugged, fighting a smile before quickly snuggling back into the blanket for warmth. Her nose and cheeks were freezing, and he was somehow still sitting there in his hoodie without anything close to a shiver. 

“How are you not freezing right now?” 

He blinked at her for a moment before looking down at his jacket. “I’m hanyou, I run hotter than humans. My usual temperature is around 39 degrees celsius? 40 on a hot day?”

Her brows rose at the temperature, though at this point she wasn’t entirely surprised; he hadn't even brought a blanket up for himself. “Must be nice,” Kagome huffed from under the blankets; she'd always been tiny, and didn’t retain heat well. 

“Next!” Kagome chirped, thoroughly buried in the blanket, though another yawn escaped her not a second afterward.

Inuyasha pulled his phone out of his pocket to see a string of texts from both Miroku and Sango. Ignoring the eggplant emojis spammed at him, he opened the slew of messages asking about Kagome. Inuyasha frowned, responding to Sango in brief 1-2 word responses; he wouldn’t dignify the bigot with a full answer, hopefully conveying the annoyance that she had the balls to text him in the first place. ‘Kagome’s fine’ was all he would say. Inuyasha’s brow twitched with irritation before turning his phone on silent. 

He had opened his mouth to ask another question when he noticed Kagome had begun slowly nodding off, her head jerking involuntarily upward trying to stay awake. “Kagome.”

“Mmmmmm?” She looked up at him, eyes unfocused with sleep. He could see the faint blush from the cold on her cheeks, face relaxed. She was adorable. 

“You can lay down and sleep. I’ll just ask questions later.” 

“Mmmmmm, s’not fair though.” He rolled his eyes at her words;  _ this girl _ . She gave in, however, and slid onto her side against the wall, pulling the pillow Inuyasha had given her under her head and wrapping herself tighter in the ornate quilt. She wondered what it would feel like to have Inuyasha’s jacket wrapped around her. But she was too tired to ask or even think long about the silver-haired man and his warmth before she drifted off.

It took her a few minutes, but she had finally fallen asleep. Inuyasha couldn't help himself; he gently crept closer and watched her, memorizing her breaths and following her eyes fluttering underneath her eyelids. What was she dreaming about? 

As if on cue, her brows furrowed and the slightest whimper rose from her chest, eyes flicking rapidly.  _ She's having a nightmare...  _

He didn’t know what to do. Every fiber of his being was screaming to gently pat her head, run his fingers through her hair, and hold her. Inuyasha pulled his hoodie off over his head and folded it quickly, gently lifting her head to slide it underneath it. He had hoped his scent was stronger on something he had just used would help comfort her, it felt… instinctual. 

His fingers lingered, pulling away from her head after he had shifted her to place the hoodie under her. His claws slowly drew her long raven terresses through his fingers and he took a shuddering breath. So soft. So silky. Fuck. He held his breath as she snuggled into it once his hands were completely removed; somehow it seemingly had done the trick. She let out a content sigh, bringing one of her hands up to grasp the red fabric. It was such a minor victory, but it had his heart practically leaping out of his chest as it raced.  _ She likes my scent.  _ His youkai was thrumming excitedly around him and he was  _ so _ proud of her response. 

_ She! Likes! My! Scent! _

“I’ll protect you, Kagome. No matter what.” He whispered into the cold night air as he stepped back to his original place and sat back down on the pillow. He’d stay up all night to watch over her, to make sure she was okay. Protected. Safe. That was his job now--not professionally, no, it was now instinctually.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

So for those curious: This is what a [Fairy Armadillo](https://imgur.com/gallery/68T6VyS) looks like! 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my favorite chapters so far, I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I do! 
> 
> Thank you Fawn_Eyed_Girl and Lavendertwilight89 for all your help! I wouldn't be able to do this without you <3 
> 
> As usual, I don't own Inuyasha and make no money writing my stories.

Kagome drifted awake slowly, so comfortable and warm. She didn't want to leave the little nest of blankets she had wrapped herself up in, but found herself unable to drift back to sleep. Birds were chirping, and the sound of cars whizzing below was a little louder than normal. Kagome kicked herself for not closing the window to her bedroom. 

Oh—

Her eyes shot open and she looked around wildly. She had definitely not made it back to her room. Pushing the blankets from her upper body, she noticed an additional blanket that she didn't remember having the night before, as well as Inuyasha’s jacket under her head. A sizable puddle of drool had collected onto it while she slept, to her horror. She flipped it over to try and hide the evidence of her shame.

Maybe he won't notice? Kagome frowned. Of course, Inuyasha would notice; he had superhuman abilities. 

She looked along the wall to see Inuyasha leaning against it, head hanging forward with his arms across his chest, snoring lightly. He looked asleep, but the furry ear peeking out from under his hat would twitch just slightly at each noise the city emitted. She smiled, studying the furred appendages at work. How was it that she was one of the few people who wanted to touch them? They were so unbelievably cute, and soft, and she was already eager to touch them again. Would he let her? Did he even like her touching his ears in the first place? She sat there for a few minutes, simply watching his eyes shift under the lids. Kagome wondered how he slept at all if his hearing was as good as he said it was. Maybe he was just used to it at this point? 

Her smile faltered: how much was he used to now? Where did his ears go when he put on the concealment necklace? She studied his long silver hair, pinned against the wall behind his back. It was a beautiful, ethereal silver that reflected the morning light radiantly. Inuyasha had to be used to having black hair with his concealment, which was beautiful in its own right, but it was unfair that he couldn't show his natural color. Maybe he wouldn’t have to hide it now that dying hair was common? She’d have to ask him when he woke up. 

Kagome moved to push the blankets off of her legs when her phone fell off of the pile, clattering to the ground; her eyes whipped back to Inuyasha, who had jolted awake. His hands flexed as he emitted a low growl; his eyes frantically looked around his surroundings before realizing that it had been Kagome who had woken him up. His eyes brightened as he caught sight of her face, and while she was happy to see it, Kagome was more than a little caught off guard by it. A guy hadn’t… liked her in ages, and this guy wasn’t even fully human. Was she ready for that? 

“Shit, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Suppose’t be guarding you.” He stretched his arms over his head, joints audibly popping as he yawned. Kagome’s eyes involuntarily watched as the muscles under his shirt pulled it taut at the motion.

Kagome was ogling; she wasn’t one to not appreciate the beautiful things in life. Thankfully, Inuyasha hadn’t noticed yet as she broke her gaze to pick up her phone, finally, and read the slew of messages Sango had sent her the night before. 

“Sango’s not happy with either of us.” 

Inuyasha snorted. “Not like I give a shit; that racist can deal.” 

“Inuyasha! She is not racist! You take that back!” 

“Half-breed is a slur, Kagome. I’ve dealt with it all my life I know when someone hates me because of what I am. She fucking kills demons for a living; of course she’s against youkai like me.” Inuyasha spat, the resentful tone in his voice painfully clear. 

Kagome opened her mouth to argue but fell short. He had a point. Kagome had spent her life trying to be as understanding and accepting a person as possible, given what she had been through, and for Sango to hate Inuyasha simply because of the way he was born was not going to fly with her. 

“I’ll have a talk with her. She will not be treating you that way anymore, I promise. It’s not fair that you’ve had to deal with so much hate just because of who you are.” The sincerity in her words had him in awe. 

God, as if I couldn’t love her more. Inuyasha instantly flushed from his chest to the tips of her ears. Where the FUCK did that come from? I. Barely. Know. Her. What. The. Fuck. He couldn’t look at her after the battle with his thoughts, but Kagome stared at him with her head tilted in confusion. 

“I can’t be the first person to stand up for you like this, am I?”

Getting a grip on himself took a moment before he cleared his throat, fidgeting with his claws. “You’re one of the first, yeah.” He wasn't counting the countless youkai under his father’s command who were forced to treat him like an equal in front of others. It was fake respect. He knew it, his father knew it, and Sesshoumaru, at one time, had absolutely relished in rubbing that fact in his face. Miroku had defended him on occasion but ultimately knew better in their line of work to get too involved in their biases. He didn’t blame the man; it was easier that way, and Inuyasha was plenty used to their behavior. 

Kagome slapped her fist into her other hand with determination. “Well, from now on you don’t have to worry about that, because I’ll set them all straight!” 

Inuyasha pursed his lips together in a line in an attempt not to laugh. Her dedication was sweet, and it had meant a lot to him, but... Kagome wasn’t scary, not in that regard. 

“Okay, well you tell ‘er off for me, let me know how it goes.” He bit the inside of his cheek at the steadfast nod she gave him. Don’t laugh, don’t laugh, don’t laugh. 

“Let's get you back to your apartment. If I’m hungry, I know a puny little human like you is starving.” Inuyasha stood in one swift motion, a bit too quickly for Kagome to catch. 

Kagome took a deep breath, fully untangling herself from the pile of blankets. Once free, she bundled them up and passed them to Inuyasha who easily squashed them all under one of his considerably longer arms. “I guess I’ll be figuring out what to say. I’ll have to talk to Sango about everything... Why she lied, why they don’t trust me with their secret or I guess even my own...”

“It’s not a trust issue, Kagome. I trust you, but I still had to hide what I am, just like they did. Shit. I still have to hide.” Inuyasha pulled the cap back over both of his ears. 

“No... it's a little different when they’re the people who raised you and told you that you were family. That you mattered.”

“Oh come off it! Sango wouldn’t be blowing up my phone asking how you are if she didn't think you mattered, Kagome. Of course you matter! How could you not matter to everyone who gets to know you? You matter to me.”

Inuyasha wanted to punch himself repeatedly until he was unconscious. Maybe he should just call Sesshomaru; he’d still love to do it for him. His thoughts were out of a fucking romance novel, damn near disgusting him and having him question just how many emotions he was experiencing by simply looking at the girl in front of him. He was doomed. 

Kagome was taken aback by his admission, though at this point, she wondered if she should be? Inuyasha had made it very clear that she was important to him, despite only really getting to know him over the past couple of days. Everything they had before had been superficial. Yet she was able to fall asleep in his presence, and she was able to do that alone? Just the two of them? That was huge. 

It meant a lot that he was trying so hard to cheer her up. Maybe Inuyasha was right, and Sango deserved to say whatever her piece was—whatever her ‘good reason’ was for keeping her in the dark. She had apparently spoken to her father the night before and was brought up to speed on the situation if her texts gave away anything. 

“Well, I guess I better go down there and face the music, huh?” Kagome joked, but her words were empty.  
-_-_-_-_-_

Kagome was apprehensive as she came to her apartment door. Why did she feel compelled to knock? She lived here. 

Pulling her keys out of her small cat purse, she unlocked the many locks on her door and stepped inside, relocking each deadbolt as she looked around the apartment. It was the same, yet she felt so strongly that she no longer belonged. It was almost foreign to her now, with an overwhelming feeling that she was out of place. 

Kagome hated that feeling: she had felt it everywhere, outside of her own home, until now.

Sango sat on the couch, visibly disheveled; she had dark bags under her eyes and her hair was frizzy in what appeared to be a haphazardly tied-back ponytail. She looked like she hadn’t slept, and here Kagome was walking in refreshed after one of the best nights of sleep she’d had all year. 

Sango looked up at Kagome with a jolt. Swallowing audibly she stood quickly, opening and closing her mouth a few times before speaking. She was nervous, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at Kagome with an eager expression before dropping her head dejectedly.

“Kagome... You’ve got to understand. They planned to tell you, they really did. You came to us when you were 6, and neither of us knew what they were doing yet. I didn’t learn until I was around 10 and could carry a weapon effectively, but they were going to tell you when... your incident happened. They wanted you to stabilize first. Then they wanted you to focus on school. I haven’t even gone on very many hunts myself: only one or two local ones. They wanted me to be there for you.

Protecting you has always been their number one priority, and I was too blind to their instruction to question it. I will never make that mistake again. Please forgive me, I love you so much, Kagome; you really are my sister, no matter what you’re thinking right now.” 

“I guess I can try to understand. It’s just difficult when you’re the one receiving the deception, you know! You were the one person I could always count on to never lie, or keep secrets, or hide things from me. Ever.” Kagome felt… conflicted. She wanted to believe Sango but something like this wasn't fixed overnight with mere apologies. It would take time to repair their relationship to be close to what it was before her secret was revealed. She knew Sango loved her but how much of that love was 

“I know and I am so sorry, Kagome. Please, you have to believe me. I had to respect Father and our elder’s wishes.”

“That’s bullshit, Sango! You don’t respect everything your Father says. Like how he wants you to date and court someone else? What’s his name again?” Kagome said leadingly.

“Kagome! That is nowhere near the same—”

“Isn’t it, though?? You not dating whoever is different than keeping this secret from me?! About me?! About my life?!”

“Kagome please—I love you so much. I don’t want this to come between us.”

“It may have, though, Sango. After all, did you not just say they were waiting on me to be ‘stable’ from my ‘incident’? Trust is so—Sango! Don’t you understand?” Kagome exclaimed, tearing up. She felt her chest grow heavier and the doubt fall hard onto her body. This was supposed to be her sister. The one and only person she could actually trust. God—her mind began swimming in anxiety and fear of what would happen after this talk. What would become of them? Could they actually fix this?

Sango’s hand brushed up on her arm and startled her. “Kagome, breathe, stay with me. Count. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here—I know this sucks. I know I’ve hurt you; but please, we can’t keep going like this. Back and forth. Who’s right and who is wrong… Please… just—talk to me. Listen to me. Try to understand.”

“Breakfast,” Kagome finally swallowed.

“What?” Sango questioned.

“Let’s get breakfast with Inuyasha…”

“You want to run off to have breakfast with HIM?! Kagome! We need to finish this!”

“We can… after breakfast with Inuyasha.”

“I’m not involving the half-breed—”

“Oh also—starting now, you’re going to stop being so frickin’ awful to Inuyasha, do you understand me, Sango? He can't help who he is and you will not be holding that against him. Not while you're calling yourself my sister. Inuyasha stayed with me all night to protect me. He isn't like the people who killed my family, or Bankotsu. He isn't.” 

“Kagome—

“No. Either stop, or lose me completely,” Kagome stated as she pressed forward to go into her bedroom to change. Closing the door with more force than was needed after she entered, she leaned heavily against the door and stared disbelievingly at her bed. She had just… Why had she…

She didn't think she was ready for an actual ‘thing’ with Inuyasha, yet for some reason, she just made her sister—her best friend cave to having breakfast with him. Then, threatened her to stop calling him the racial slur by saying it would completely end their relationship if she didn’t. 

Kagome felt like she was losing her mind. But the way he made her feel so safe, comfortable, and at ease… Sighing, she kicked away from the door to get dressed. One problem at a time, Kagome.

__________

Inuyasha padded into his apartment, gently pressing the door closed as he leaned against it. A genuine smile spread across his face as he looked down at the pile of blankets. He was struggling to keep a conversation going with Kagome as they walked back downstairs, simply overwhelmed with her scent on the blankets bundled in his arms. He was never washing these fucking things again. He flicked his head, sending the uncomfortable hat flying onto the floor.

He exhaled deeply before shoving his head into the bundle in his arms and thoroughly inhaling. Her scent was the most alluring thing in the world to him, enveloping him a blanket of comfort. He raised his head, pupils wide, and he exhaled exceedingly slowly, savoring the smell in his system. Ears unabashedly half-lowered with relaxation, Inuyasha was blissfully unaware that he was being watched.

Miroku stood motionless in the kitchen to the far left of the hanyou, mug raised to his lips, and eyebrows raised with a playful look in his eye. “Fuck, you demons are weird.” 

Inuyasha’s head snapped to attention as he looked in horror at Miroku staring at him with an impish grin. “Those blankets smell pretty good after the night you and Kagome had?” Miroku added, teasing him. “Look at you, all grown up!” Miroku raised his arm up for a high five as he walked toward Inuyasha. “My man! Finally losing your V card after all these years! ” 

Suddenly Inuyasha was standing behind Miroku, quickly placing him in a chokehold with one arm and covering Miroku’s nose and mouth with his free hand. “Time to go to heaven!” Inuyasha’s tone was one that the monk hadn't heard before: bizarrely gleeful and unmistakably deadly. Miroku frantically slapped Inuyasha’s arm before elbowing the hanyou in the chest, though Inuyasha’s grip held steadfast. 

Fleshy wetness met Inuyasha’s hand, repeatedly flicking across his palm and the hanyou let a disgusted yelp, dropping his hand to vigorously wipe it on his pants, swiftly punching the back of Miroku’s head, the arm around his neck still persisting its grip. “I’ll need to soak this fucking hand in bleach. How many diseases did you just give me?” 

A pounding on their apartment door had the pair stop and let go of each other, looking at each other questioningly before Inuyasha picked up the scent of the person standing outside. He instantly scowled and snatched the rejected hat off of the floor and back onto his head. 

Miroku opened the door to a disgruntled Sango, visibly flustered as she thrummed her fingers against her bicep. “Kagome wants Inuyasha to come to breakfast with us; she's refusing to agree to talk to me unless the half-breed is there.” 

“R-really?” Inuyasha answered far too eagerly, which prompted Miroku to elbow him in the side with a snicker. Inuyasha swatted his arm away from his frame with a loud smack, seemingly breaking whatever spell he had been under and returning to his grumpy self.

“Getting real tired of your pet name for me, Sango.” The words growled out of the man, his golden eyes now focused on the woman in the doorframe, ears flat against his head in obvious malcontent. Kagome hadn’t had that talk yet with Sango, apparently. 

“Yeah, well I’m getting real tired of Kagome’s new attachment to you, so I guess we’re even.” Her narrow glare was met back with heated gold, both in a battle of wills and a feral growl escaped him.

A prompt slap against the back of Inuyasha’s head broke his concentration on Sango, and his now evidently angry expression shifted to Miroku, who had begun walking over to Sango with soothing words. 

“Now, now,” he said soothingly, “we can't help who we are or who we love! I think you two need a mediator at breakfast. Why don’t you go back down to Kagome and tell her we’ll be ready in about 15 minutes? Dog man here needs to take a shower and I’ve gotta get myself spruced up to impress my girl, don't I?” The sly wink in her direction had the woman fumble with whatever she was going to say, mouth opening and closing once before giving up with a sigh. 

“Fine, Miroku,” she replied, “but both of you are to be on your best behavior. She hasn’t wanted to go out to eat with the male populous in years; don’t fuck this up for her, or fuck up my progress with fixing our problem. I love her, she's my sister, even if she doesn’t believe it right now.” 

Sango turned to leave, giving one last glare in Inuyasha’s direction before heading back down the hall and the stairwell.

“You’re supposedly gonna marry that?” Inuyasha fumed once the door closed.

“She's… passionate, and—you’re an acquired taste. Kagome doesn’t know what she's getting into with you.” 

Inuyasha flushed slightly before huffing and turning away. “She’s not getting into anything; there's nothing happening. Unlike you—I’m keeping this professional.” 

“I thought you were getting close to her? Well then, maybe I’ll have to step up my charm and woo her into my bed and—” Miroku’s brows raised as he spoke in a teasing tone, shooting Inuyasha an incriminating look with a smirk. 

“Over my dead body. She's mine.” The voice that came out of the silver-haired man was unexpectedly low and feral, yokai flaring up around him as the edges of his sclera tinged red, fangs baring threateningly. Inuyasha's fingers cracked violently as his claws lengthened, a deadly glare set on Miroku who stood merely a few feet away. 

“Whoa man, I was just kidding! Kid-ding. Put your youki back in your pants.” Miroku’s hands shot up in front of him in a sign of defeat, stepping back away from the unstable hanyou. Inuyasha losing control while being angry at him would only end poorly for everyone involved; but mostly for the ‘weak one’ of the two: him. Miroku had only seen Inuyasha’s youkai side take over a few times, usually when they were in danger while on assignments. He had heard about the hanyou’s blow up at the news of his mother being murdered, but that was over 100 years ago, and had apparently gotten better control of himself.

The monk’s brows furrowed in thought as he watched Inuyasha’s body begin to relax and return to normal; with one final exhale, the hanyou looked like his regular surly self. 

“Inuyasha? My friend, you good?” 

He blinked at Miroku. “I… I don’t know what just happened.” There was a slight shakiness in his words that had a chill run up Miroku’s spine. The ever-confident hanyou, uncertain? 

Miroku sent him an awkward smile. He couldn't let Inuyasha know just how badly that had freaked him out. “I… think you need to talk to your dad today, about your whole…” His hands gestured to the whole of Inuyasha. “Demon-ness. I’ve never seen you try to go full demon when you weren’t about to die, Inuyasha. Life and death stuff, not me joking about banging the girl you like. You must be in it deep.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I know I need to talk to him and—oh fuck off! I am not, you’re just pissing me off,” Inuyasha huffed. Just because he couldn’t lie to Kagome anymore didn’t mean he couldn’t lie to everyone else, including himself. 

“You can't lie to me; I can see your guilt, Inuyasha. It’s practically a gift.” Miroku lifted his pointer finger in a chastising manner. “Go take a shower, and relax. We don’t wanna be late for our double date.” 

Grumbling, and trying to distract himself that he had just almost torn his partner apart over a poorly timed joke, he stormed off into the bathroom and slammed the door. 

Miroku let the smile fall off of his lips, a tense expression replacing it. What the fuck was that? Inuyasha had never lost control so easily, nor had he not been able to describe what happened. That incident had caused his hair to stand on end, even his palms were sweaty. He had never been truly fearful of the half-demon Ripping his phone out of his pocket at near inhuman speed, he sent a few text messages to the person he knew Inuyasha would be livid at for telling, but he definitely needed help and Miroku needed reassurance. 

He sighed dejectedly once they were sent, preparing himself for the hell Inuyasha would give him, and shoved his phone back into his pocket as he walked back into his bedroom. He needed to put on that cologne Sango liked.  
\--------------------------------------

“Chop chop, boys!” Sango called out, voice tight with irritation. Her pace was decidedly faster than either of the men had wanted to walk apparently. Inuyasha was practically dragging his feet on the sidewalk. Miroku had explained to Sango that he was uncomfortable being out in public without his concealment charm, and the kitsune hadn’t been over to fix it yet, much to Inuyasha’s disappointment. His eyes and hair were otherworldly, and he received plenty of stares on his way to the restaurant with them. He simply had too much hair to shove under the hat he wore, and even with the hoodie pulled up over his hat, his forelocks spilled out. 

The restaurant was only a 15-minute subway ride via the Ginza line, but Inuyasha had never liked taking the subway in the first place. He wasn’t claustrophobic, but he never enjoyed being stuck in a tunnel with hundreds of humans with little ways to escape. 

The hanyou was understandably upset when Miroku pulled him to the side to chide him for not keeping a very good grip on his youki; it wasn’t masked without the enchantment and he was doing a piss-poor job of keeping it under control, given his sour mood. The aura he was emitting was as dark and as testy as Inuyasha was feeling; it didn’t make him feel better in the slightest. Grumbling, he had to concentrate to hide it even a little bit better than he had previously, which ultimately wasn’t a lot. He was out of practice—by a 100 years or so.

His only solace was the woman walking in front of him, but the drawback to even that was she was chatting happily with Miroku (of all people). Like it didn’t make his blood boil. He clenched his eyes shut as he walked, his shoes scuffing at the sidewalk in a mini-tantrum... This was getting out of control, whatever this was. Kagome was-off limits as she was the protection target, but god if she wasn’t off-limits in her own right... He was going insane. His thoughts and feelings had a fucking mind of their own swirling in his head making him more and more confused and thereby, more and more irritated.

He glanced at the trio walking in front of him before pulling the phone out of his pocket and shooting his father a quick text. ‘I need to talk to you today. It’s important, make time to call me.’


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to LavenderTwilight89 and Fawn_Eyed_Girl for all the help <3

As they walked to the diner for breakfast, Kagome noticed how Inuyasha’s youki was swirling around him when she turned to look back for him. She hadn’t had too much practice in recognizing what it was, but to her, it was red—angry. Slowing her pace from Miroku, allowing him to catch up with Sango, she ended up beside the grumpy-looking hanyou. She looked at him, gaining the confidence to speak. 

“What?” He barked much harsher than he had meant, wincing as she jumped at his words. He needed to work on not scaring her by just being...himself. That sucked. 

“Are you… angry?” Kagome asked him hesitantly.

“Why?” he replied angrily, completely surprised by her question.

“Uhm, you’re just— glowing red? I don’t know how else to describe it? You’ve got a red cloud around you?”

“You mean my youki? Can you see that now too, Eh? And...kinda.” This girl’s powers were unfurling damn quick. 

“Why? Did Sango say something?! Ooooooooh I will murder her. We talked about this.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle at how fierce she became when she was acting like she would be able to protect him from all the hate in the world like when they were up on the roof earlier that morning. “No… I just—”

“You can tell me anything, Inuyasha. ‘Specially after our bonding session on the roof.” Her soft smile and wink made his knees weak and he was pretty sure he was going to say he needed her in his life forever. FUCK! Good thing he sent that message to his father after all. 

What. Was. Wrong. With. Him. 

“I—” His train of thought stopped when a rather large man bumped into her—taking them both by surprise. 

She panicked and yelped, collapsing in on herself for being so careless and letting the half-demon next to her fill her mind enough to distract her from social norms. Reaching down, she grabbed his hand on instinct, just as she would have done with Sango, trying to ground herself as she paused in order to prevent herself from falling. The tender stroke of his hand suddenly calmed her—before making her realize she was freely, undrunkedly, touching a man. Inuyasha. 

Her mind snapped. If she was a computer, words of ‘Does not compute’ would be displayed out on her monitor. She should be panicking. She should be having an anxiety attack. She should be wanting to scrub her hands and arms and chest and legs—but all she wanted to do was somehow savor the contact. It soothed her. The fact he had just so gently brushed his thumb against her hand in response even made her initial thoughts of how disgusting and untouchable she was slightly disappear.

Inuyasha’s mind, meanwhile, was reeling. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck!!! He was touching her! She had latched onto him for balance and he—he stroked her goddamn hand! Holy fuck! But she wasn’t pulling away. It was at the point where it had become awkward. Should he let go? Or would she? Was she going to panic and think he didn't want to touch her again? Or if he flung his hand away would it send her spiraling? His instincts were telling him to hang on and just not—move. Relish the moment. Just...hold still. Let her be the one to pull away.

Biting her lip, she pulled her hand from his and shyly looked up into his eyes, almost scared to see his reaction. Would he be disgusted like last time? Even though he had reassured her so soundly, even though she did believe him, her mind still demanded that she verify everything. To make sure it wasn’t another lie to protect her. Just another lie from someone she trusted to keep her from attacking herself…

He gazed at her with a light flush, but it was an agonizing comfort. God. She didn’t want—she couldn’t. No. Not yet. She couldn’t look at him like that. Just— a little longer.

“S-sorry. Sorry. I instinctively went for your hand like you w-were Sango,” she said shakily. 

“Uhh, yeah, no problem. What a fuckin’ asshole to run into you like that.”

“Yep! Thank you.” Kagome sputtered, still overwhelmed with what had just occurred. She hadn’t wanted to bolt at the contact She stayed beside him, closer than what she would normally stand next to a man, but not close enough that if their arms swung she would hit him. 

The fact she hadn’t ran, the fact she hadn’t panicked… Inuyasha could only count his blessings. It seemed like things were changing and moving in the right direction. Maybe. At least definitely towards a really strong friendship. Even though he was pretty sure he was failing his mission because of the feelings he was having—feelings Miroku knew he had, but that Inuyasha would deny until the day he died. 

Yup; he was so screwed.

—————————

“A Happy Pancake, really?” Inuyasha arched a brow as Kagome practically glowed with excitement as the four walked inside. He’d heard of the new fad of these ‘extremely thick jiggly pancakes’ but hadn't bothered to stop into a tourist trap like this to experience them himself. He wasn’t much of a sweets person. Not a single Inu Youkai was. Being Inu meant savory foods, not sweet, and definitely not anything remotely spicy. Inuyasha groaned. This food was going to suck. 

Their group was led to the back corner of the small, modern style cafe. The waitress pulled two small white square tables together into the corner, placing the menus on them and briefly leaving to grab silverware. Kagome moved to sit in the far chair against the wall, leaving one chair to the left of her available, and Inuyasha watched Sango make the smallest movement towards the chairs before she stopped, doubting her decision. 

You snooze, you lose, bitch. With a confidence Inuyasha didn't even know he possessed, he smoothly walked past Sango and slinked himself into the chair. Sango’s eyes flashed rage for a brief moment before she slipped into the booth style seating on the other side of the table, across from Kagome. Sango reached her hand out and grabbed Kagome’s, squeezing gently in reassurance, before letting her hand drop, her eyes meeting Inuyasha’s for the briefest of stare downs, a small smirk on her lips as she pulled back to grab the menu. 

Miroku pulled into the booth seat, pulling himself flush against Sango’s side and looping an arm around her shoulder comfortably, causing the woman to blush lightly, but Sango made no movement to move his arm. Kagome smiled at the couple in front of her. 

“I’ll take… ohhhhhhh. Strawberry or peach?” Kagome's fingers thrummed against the laminate of the menu. Inuyasha watched her mouth ‘strawberry or peach’ to herself a few times before she scrunched her face in contemplation. “I’ll take strawberry pancakes, please!” 

The waitress expectantly turned to Inuyasha next to her. He had planned on getting the salmon and avocado pancakes, but here he was, ordering a flavor he would certainly, at best, tolerate in the hopes that Kagome would maybe want some of his food. Inuyasha didn't want Kagome to have to pick between them. This whole protector-provider thing was going to get old, fast. Instincts or not he needed some boundaries. “White Peach.” 

Inuyasha didn't miss the way Kagome looked at him like he just saved her cat from a burning building. 

“Got a sweet tooth all the sudden, Inuyasha?” Miroku’s eyes twinkled with delight as he watched his friend fumble with his words before releasing a grumbled “Yeah, I guess.” 

“It's so weird he got the peach; his favorite fruit is cherries.” Miroku winked at Kagome, whose brief confused expression flashed to embarrassment. She thought back to how Inuyasha had said she smelled of cherries when she was happy; how much did he like her scent? Oh, dear. 

“Cherries aren’t on the menu, Miroku.” Inuyasha arched a brow at the violet-eyed man, who mirrored the expression and sent a half-smile to Kagome. 

“I’m not so su-” Inuyasha was going to murder that goddamn bouzu. Never again was he indulging the man’s curiosity on what people smelled like. Never again. A swift kick under the table to Miroku’s shin had Miroku choking on the water he was drinking, hacking and clearing his throat for the waitress. “I’ll have the roasted tea tiramisu please! And this lovely lady right here will take the matcha pancakes.”

“I can order for myself, Miroku, but yes… matcha please.” Sango had been surprised that he remembered Kagome and her conversation from the subway they had hopped on after the man had bumped into Kagome. The fact he could recall the flavors they wanted as the pair had perused the menu on their phones. He hadn’t looked like he was listening in the first place, busy making forced conversation with the grumpy half-breed.

“Anything to drink?”

“Hot tea for the table, please!” Kagome was giddy with excitement in her seat. She hadn’t been to one of these shops yet, and it was the perfect opportunity to try to get to know the boys better while calming her feelings about the argument she and Sango had earlier that morning. 

“I’ll have a beer; actually, get me two,” Inuyasha spoke up, receiving a puzzled look from the rest of the table. If he had to deal with this pancake bullshit, he could get a beer to take a slight edge off; it didn't bother him that it was 10 in the morning in the slightest. 

“Two beers, got it!” The waitress paused for a moment, taking a step away from the table just to swirl back around to look back at the silver-haired man. “Okay, I’ve got to ask, What are you cosplaying as? Your contacts are amazing, and your hair! Whoever you’re trying to be, it's beautiful!” The waitress stared at Inuyasha expectantly, clearly eager to find out the answer. 

“Are you cosplaying?” Inuyasha mocked in the closest pitch he could to a female voice, irritation clear in his words. “Fuck no, I ain’t cosplaying, wench. Now go put in our food.”

The girl’s expression saddened; wordlessly, she took the menus and sulked over to the kitchen. 

“Inuyasha!” Kagome scolded, if she could see his ears she’d assume they were flat against his head at her voice, if he knew what was good for him. “She’s going to spit in our food if you don’t stop it! Quit being so rude!” 

“If she does, I’ll smell it; don't worry.” Inuyasha watched Miroku hide a smile under his hand; next to him, Sango smirked. He didn’t see Kagome’s angry expression throwing daggers his way, sending a confused glance at the pair. 

Kagome’s heel collided with the top of his foot under the table, and the hanyou let out a small yelp. “Sooooo not. The. Point. Be nice,” she hissed. 

Inuyasha raised his lips in a snarl for a moment before he realized what exactly had just taken place. Kagome touched him; she had touched him for the second time today. Granted, it wasn’t in a way that he even remotely wanted the second time, but she still felt comfortable enough to touch him with her foot, even if it was clad in a shoe. He was… giddy? He’d let her hit him with her shoe as much as she wanted if it meant she’d eventually be comfortable with him. 

Inuyasha shot Kagome a toothy grin, a fang peeking out over his lip that only she could see, given the angle. He leaned over just slightly in the chair, readjusting his cap against his ears for easily the 30th time since he left the apartment. “No promises.” 

Kagome’s glare could peel paint off of the walls. 

“Kagome… I’m sorry again for everything that's happened in the last two days. Truly. I was kept in the dark about a lot of things too.” Sango shot a flat look at Miroku, who looked away sheepishly, placing a hand behind his head and scratching his scalp.

“I’ll learn to accept it, eventually,” Sango continued. “Plus, not everything about the last 48 hours has been truly horrible, after all.” She shot a glance at Inuyasha, not giving herself time to read his expression before she looked back at her water cup. 

———

The food-laden plates were brought by a different waitress, and Inuyasha couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride at his actions earlier; they had paid off and there wasn't a single whiff of human saliva on any of the plates.

Everyone began to dig in, sans one hanyou. Kagome excitedly cut up her pancake with a fork and dipped it in the mountain of cheesecake cream on the plate, exhaling a small groan of pleasure at the taste, and her eyes closed. It was delicious. The light fluffy texture of the pancakes combined with the fresh sweetness of the strawberries had her taste buds singing, and she eagerly went in for another bite. She looked around to see everyone else’s reactions to their food to meet Inuyasha merely watching her in fascination. There he was again, studying her. 

“Aren’t you going to try yours?” Kagome asked, receiving a blank stare in return before he blinked and regained his wits again. She motioned at his plate of peach toppled pancakes before back up at him. 

“Oh... yeah.” He broke his gaze and cut into his food, grudgingly placing a piece into his mouth and already regretting it. Too sweet. Far too sweet. Fucking gross. He hid his disgusted expression and gave Kagome an awkward half-smile as he chewed, wishing he had simply ordered what he had wanted. This was without a doubt true suffering, and it was all for the beaming smile she gave him before digging back into her own plate. 

“Do… you want to try some of mine? I’m… not that hungry.” Before she could answer, Inuyasha stabbed one of the pancakes with his fork before promptly plopping it onto her plate with a wet slapping sound. Inuyasha was starving, but he'd rather eat something out of the garbage than continue with this assault on his taste buds. This was like eating a solid block of sugar. It was too much. 

Kagome’s smile was worth it, he decided. She was practically exuding happiness seeing the peach pancake on her plate, cutting into it and placing a bite in her mouth. “Do you want some of my Strawberry?” Kagome asked him.

Miroku snickered, going silent at Sango’s elbow making contact with his ribs. 

“Nah. I’m aight.” 

“You sure? It's reeeeaaaaaaaally good! Especially with the cream!” 

“Yep. Real sure. Not hungry.” Inuyasha pushed the plate away towards her and downed his first bottle of beer. Popping the second open to the disapproving looks that the rest of the table gave him, he decidedly drank that one much slower. That would tide him over until whenever the hell he got home and could get some proper inu youkai food. 

___________________________________

Kagome stood at the register, paying for her portion of the meal. It hadn’t...gone as she had planned, but it was a good start on rebuilding her and Sango’s relationship. Having Inuyasha there surprisingly helped a ton, despite him being grumpy the entire time. 

She turned quickly just to bump into a tall black-haired man, lightly knocking some air out of her lungs with an audible ‘oof’. He looked just surprised as she did at the contact, placing his hand on her arm to balance the impact. She looked up at the man to apologize when her eyes caught his face, she let out a gasp. His appearance had flickered wildly between the one she had initially seen to a disheveled one, eyes manic with hair windswept and wild. His face had green… stripes? Panic spiked through her. 

Kagome pulled her arm back near-instantly, and once their physical connection was dropped the man appeared normal, his face kind and hair smoothly pulled back in a tieback.

Inuyasha shoved his hand into Kagome’s as he pulled her back away from the stranger, pulling her behind him defensively in one swift motion, moving her like she was made of paper-mache. 

“Are you okay, miss?” 

“Watch where you’re going you idiot, you almost knocked her over!!” The frustration in Inuyasha’s voice wasn’t concealed, if he had tried at all to do so in the first place. How dare that man run into his Kagome and almost knock her over? His lips curled into a snarl as he stepped closer, briefly looking back at the featherweight woman and doing a once-over of her frame to make sure she was okay, before meeting the blue eyes of the man who had the audacity to run into her. 

“Apologize. Now.” 

“I’m sorry I ran into you,” The man scoffed, glaring at Inuyasha as he walked towards the counter. He tossed a few bills of money onto it, and moved to walk away.

“Good enough, your highness?” The man cocked a brow as he walked past the couple out onto the busy street, disappearing out of sight. 

Inuyasha stiffened for a moment at the moniker the man had called him, but quickly resolved that the man was just… being a dick. There was no way he would know that he was actually classified as royalty, on both sides of his family. Though… it was odd this guy had bumped into her twice today. The scent was the same. What the fuck was going on? 

Kagome looked down at the hand that so effortlessly encompassed her own. His hands were huge in comparison to hers, his claws avoiding contact with her skin while daintily hovering oh so closely. Her heart raced at the contact again, but she wasn't immediately compelled to break the connection; rather, her brain completely stalled in the decision process. She wanted to like the idea of holding hands with Inuyasha; it hadn’t spooked her like the man in the diner’s touch, or like the touch of any other man that had tried. 

“S-sorry.” Inuyasha dropped her hand once he realized she was staring at it, comfortable to break the connection himself this time. He had reached for her without thinking, simply wanting to put distance between her and the man, and that was the fastest way to do it. “Shit. Sorry. I know you don’t like being touched. Sorry.” 

Her eyes met his, but Inuyasha couldn’t interpret the emotions in her gaze. 

“Inuyasha? Apologizing? Pinch me. I’m telling Toga. ” Miroku waltzed up, faking an excited shiver. 

“Who’s Toga?” Kagome asked, breaking eye contact to watch Miroku walk up to them. She could ease her racing mind by distracting herself. The pounding of her heart. The longing she needed to ignore.

“Only the great Inu no Taisho!” Miroku spouted excitedly, relishing in the fed-up look his hanyou friend was shooting at him. 

“My father.” Inuyasha glared at Miroku, willing him to stop talking.

“Like… Inu no Taisho… that’s Toga? Like from old legends??” Kagome looked at Inuyasha with disbelief, as if waiting for him to say he was kidding. 

No such luck.

She stared into the street, visibly flustered. “Oh hi, I’m Inuyasha, I’m just a half-demon, by the way, hi, yes, demons exist, and my dad is something from old bedtime stories that your grandfather used to spew about at the family shrine, and his likeness is sold in all sorts of souvenir shops around Japan because he’s a big beautiful fluffy dog running into the sky!” Kagome sharply inhaled after her rant, out of breath.

“Well, I’m a bit more than that.” 

Kagome’s attention was caught by the extremely tall man standing on the curb of the street, leaning on his side against a modern black SUV styled limo as they walked outside of the diner. 

“Kagome Higurashi.” His voice was deep and soothing despite the small spike of uncertainty it caused her. Who was this man? 

“Toga-sama! To what do we owe this pleasure?” Miroku practically leaped from the restaurant doors to bow in front of the man. 

“Father.” Inuyasha’s curt tone was excessive, even for him. What was he doing here, out in the open? Toga didn’t venture into public often, and Inuyasha hadn’t planned on meeting him quite so soon, and was especially irritated that he had made such progress with Kagome for his father just to assumedly whisk him away. 

“That's...him?” Kagome squeaked, suddenly tense and wholly unprepared to be meeting a creature of legend outside of a pancake restaurant. Her life had become really unbelievable at this point. Her anxiety began to peak as she remembered the paintings depicting the giant dog, mind wildly reeling at the idea of his real form, here, in Tokyo. He’d be the dog equivalent of Godzilla. She’d laugh at the comparison if she wasn't living the reality of it.

Toga was...handsome. She was shocked at how closely he and Inuyasha resembled each other, though Toga was easily close to a foot taller than his son. He was also seemingly broader-shouldered and more muscular if his fitted suit told her anything. 

Inuyasha stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the unexpected visitor and crossing his arms across his chest defensively. His father was making her uncomfortable, and Inuyasha was compelled to step in between them. 

“Wha’ddya want Dad? We were just heading back to the apartments.” 

“The girls will be given a ride back to the apartment with Miroku; you and I are talking.” 

“Like hell they are! I’ll be going with Kagome; we can talk after. It’s my job to protect her, remember?” Inuyasha scowled at his father.

The driver of the SUV hopped out to escort the women and Miroku into the back seat, but the moment the man attempted to reach his arm out in an inviting manner to Kagome, something in Inuyasha’s brain snapped. He whipped around and clocked him in the jaw with one fluid motion, sending the surprised inu youkai employee flying into the sidewalk. 

“Inuyasha! What the fuck is wrong with you?” Miroku howled at the stiff hanyou standing over the fallen driver, promptly shoving him away despite the dangerous look in his eye. Pedestrians on the street dispersing from the area from the commotion. Toga merely watched. 

“Kagome isn’t going anywhere she doesn’t want to be.” Inuyasha wasn’t sure why he had reacted so violently to the driver of his father’s vehicle—he knew they’d be safe under the direct watch of the fabled Inu no Taisho, but no fucking way was that guy going to touch Kagome. He was bristling, a slight tremble to his extremities, and the unmissable purple streaks across his cheeks had begun to form. 

“I-Inuyasha?” Kagome had stepped towards him, blissfully unaware of the potential danger she was walking towards, and her hand gripped onto his jacket, giving a small tug. “Sango and I will be fine! We’ll go back to the apartments with Miroku. J-just text me when you’re back, okay?” Her reassuring smile had quelled his anger immediately, much to the surprise of those around him as the markings disappeared off of his skin as soon as they had come. 

“A’ight fine. But if anything happens you call me. Immediately.” The gruffness in Inuyasha’s voice was exceptionally thick. 

“I will, I promise.” Kagome’s confidence faltered momentarily, but the grip on his jacket tightened for a moment before she let go. She looked back at him as she walked to Sango and Miroku before they hopped into the black SUV a few meters away, the driver staring daggers at Inuyasha as he fumed his way back into the car. Inuyasha tensed again the moment Kagome was out of his line of sight, clenching the muscles in his jaw as the car drove away. Taking her away. She’ll be okay. 

She’ll be okay. 

Toga looked down at his son lovingly, a smirk growing at the sight of Inuyasha so concerned for the human girl. Inuyasha had no idea what he was in for.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My usual thank you sooooo much to Fawn_Eyed_Girl and Lavendertwilight89 for all their help!! 
> 
> So sorry this upload was a day late, was having a bad mental health week. BUT HERE WE ARE! I hope y'all enjoy <3

Toga climbed into the limo effortlessly with Inuyasha following suit; the daiyoukai leaned back against the padded leather seating and stared at the intricate roof. He could see his youngest son didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be in the other SUV with her. With Kagome. 

And Inuyasha knew that Miroku was there with the girls like he was supposed to be, and he was thanking every god he could think of that his nosy roommate wasn't privy to the conversation about to take place. He knew Miroku wouldn’t mess with Kagome, but he would sure as shit mess with Inuyasha. The stupid monk was probably rubbing his coat all over Kagome to cover her in Miroku’s scent while Inuyasha sat here. 

Inuyasha pulled the hat off of his head, tossing it onto the floor of the limo as he rubbed his ears gently. Waiting for the concealment charm to be repaired was going to be excruciating if he had to continue to wear the damn ball cap. He needed a more comfortable disguise. 

“Miroku’s been sending me a lot of texts about you, pup.”

The hanyou’s ears flattened against his head as he scoffed and stared even harder at the roof, avoiding eye contact with his father as much as possible. Great, Miroku had been texting him, which meant he probably heard about his weird loss of control this morning.  _ I'm going to murder that goddamn Bozu so help me…  _

“He says you’ve taken quite the liking to the Kagome girl. Care to share?”

“Nope.” The hanyou shifted uncomfortably, suddenly clamming up. He had been so prepared to talk to his father about this but… What if this isn't normal? Suddenly he wasn't in the mood to talk. 

“Inuyasha.” 

Inuyasha enunciated the syllables  _ just  _ the way he knew his father hated. “ **_Nope._ ** ” 

Toga took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he fought the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. It had always been painful getting information out of his son, even as a boy. He only ever really confided with his mother, who would undoubtedly spill his secrets to his father. That had really been the only way that he learned about his son’s feelings and hardships. Since she had died, Toga had done his best to connect with his son, with little success. It was almost as if they were too much alike and clashed because of it. 

Taking an educated guess, though he was fairly certain at this point, Toga began to speak. “Have you started worrying yet? Worrying about if she’s eating enough or sleeping enough? Fussing if she's warm enough?” 

Inuyasha’s head whipped to look at his father, eyes wide, and stammered, “How… how do you know about that?” 

It took everything Toga had to fight a smile and a laugh at his son as he exhaled. “Knew it.”

“What? How did you know?? What is happening to me? I can't take this. I feel like I’m going insane!” 

Toga winked at his flustered son. “Same thing that happened to me when I met your mother. I was a bit… eccentric… at first.” 

“Oh,” Inuyasha spat, “no fucking way. I knew this  **had** to be inu youkai related but I thought I was going crazy from being a half-breed. Royal blood being too strong for a human soul, the usual bullshit they used to tell me.”

“Hanyou. You’re hanyou, the hanyou son of the Inu no Taisho, not some ‘ _ half-breed _ ,’” Toga chastised, though knowingly looking at his son. Inuyasha winced at his father’s words; when had he started calling himself slurs again? That damn demon slayer really had been getting under his skin. 

“Please tell me this goes away. I’m going fucking crazy.” Inuyasha shot his father an exasperated look as he lowered his hands into his open palms, rubbing his eyes. 

“I wish I had good news for you.” Toga grinned; he couldn’t hold it back any longer. 

The groan that escaped Inuyasha was one of pure frustration, and the great dog demon watched his son scowl in annoyance. Inuyasha really didn’t know how lucky he was that he was experiencing it at all. Toga had never told him about the mating instincts of Inu youkai; he didn’t want his son to feel left out and hate his hanyou existence if he didn't inherit them at all. He wasn't sure what Inuyasha would and would not inherit from his genes. Inuyasha was one of the first hanyous to reach maturity. More and more hanyous were able to live their lives without the persecution Inuyasha had to deal with as he grew up, though they were still few and far between. They had become more common since humans and demons have been living amongst each other for generations now, but different species had different mating tendencies. 

“I wasn’t sure if you would inherit the joys of youkai mating instincts, to be perfectly honest. You were the first inu hanyou I had heard of actually growing up to reach full maturity.”

Inuyasha grunted in response. 

“Being with Inukimi was… nothing in comparison to Izayoi. We were together to produce an heir, your brother Sesshoumaru; at the time, I thought I loved her. But.. with Izayoi... I learned what caring about a person truly meant.”

Inuyasha frowned deeply at the mention of Inukimi. That literal bitch hated him from the moment he took his first breath, and he was sure she was still eagerly awaiting his death. He was the product of his father’s infidelity, a constant reminder that Toga ultimately didn't love her, that he wasn't her soulmate. Sure they had produced Sesshomaru, his father’s true heir, but there was little love lost on Toga’s end when the marriage was off from her to pursue Izayoi, and that had infuriated her. The usually cold woman had made her feelings incredibly clear to Toga and the rest of the Inu youkai at the time in a flagrant display of disobedience. 

  
“Fucking kill me. Is there a point to your rambling, old man?” Inuyasha was being unnecessarily rude to his father, but he didn't want to hear about their relationship in the slightest. She had died when he was roughly 100 years old, a preteen. Once he could walk and talk, Inuyasha roughly aged the equivalent of one year for every ten that passed. 

From everything he had remembered about his parents, they had a loving relationship that Inuyasha had expected to last forever. He didn’t know the details of how she had gained his father’s lifespan, but he remembered the happiness he felt when she told him she wouldn’t grow old and die as quickly as a normal human. His mother had slowly earned the respect of Toga’s followers as a master tactician, helping Toga oversee his kingdom with unbelievable ease. 

Toga was emotionless as stared at Inuyasha from his position in the limo, seemingly detached from processing his callous words. Toga had learned long ago that Inuyasha acted out and spoke ruthlessly in an attempt to avoid his own emotions. He simply needed to wait a moment before—

“...Sorry.” Inuyasha mumbled the words, still glaring at the limo roof with his ears pinned back.

“It’s not going to be easy. I had to earn your mother’s trust in the beginning… She didn’t trust demons much. Even then, she was much less… complicated, than your Kagome. Youkai mating normally is felt extremely strongly between the two paired individuals, but humans don't experience soul-bonding quite like us. She likes you: she has to, otherwise, you wouldn’t feel as strongly as you do about her. Souls know. 

“Am I surprised you bonded with a human you were assigned to surveil? Not really. Since you were born, you have always done the unexpected, always pressing your mother’s and my buttons since you could crawl.” Toga’s exasperated growl was paired with an arched brow. “It does complicate things, however. I know better than to try to pull you from your job now. Just don’t give me grand-pups until she's safe and we deal with the Meiotori; am I clear?”

Inuyasha choked suddenly, coughing into his closed fist as his face turned red. “I don’t think that will be a problem for a long time, if ever.” 

“Just... protect her. I couldn’t save your mother, even after everything that happened back then. I couldn’t save her.” Toga’s normally booming voice was reduced to merely breathing the words, his eyes vacant as he stared past his son. Inuyasha had seen his father this way before, though only once or twice since his mother was murdered over 100 years ago. He had always been so strong; the position of Inu no Taisho and Lord of the West had been something Toga had taken to heart. He would always protect his lands and his sons; it was his responsibility. 

It didn’t mean that he wasn't fractured from losing his soulmate, however. Every waking moment was agony, his soul stuck forever raw and weeping from the severed connection. Izayoi had been his everything. Since her death he hadn’t taken a single woman to bed or considered another relationship, though Inukimi had expressed her interest once the mortal woman had been ripped from the picture. Toga had his happily ever after, however brief it was. He simply was unable to move on, and the knowledge that due to the demon blood that ran through his veins he had another couple thousand of years left to live before he would see her again in the afterlife was something he had learned to disassociate himself from for the sake of his children. Once Inuyasha died, maybe he could finally end his suffering a bit early.

Sesshoumaru… had grown into his own person and didn't necessarily need his help, but he’d protect his youngest until the day he died. Inuyasha was what he had left of her. She was taken from him far too early. Toga had taken Shishinki’s life with his bare hands, just to resurrect him with Tensaiga and kill him again. He merely wished someone could be resurrected more than once with the sword; Toga would have saved Izayoi and endlessly raised that damn ogre youkai from the dead just to kill him over, and over, and over, for the rest of Toga’s very long life. 

Inuyasha was stunned by the utterly broken expression on his father’s face. He had watched a multitude of emotions overcome Toga in the brief moment his hardened exterior dropped. He knew his father loved his mother, but had always put up an extremely professional front, even with his family after her death. 

“What do I do?” Inuyasha wanted to die asking his father for relationship advice, but Miroku was definitely not an option here. Nor was Sesshoumaru, not that he’d ask his piece of shit brother for advice in the first place. He had as much charm with the ladies as a goldfish, that man was undoubtedly voluntarily celibate, though it wasn't uncommon with higher demons to wait hundreds of years to find their mates and Sesshoumaru was still viewed as a youngster in the eyes of older daiyoukai like Toga. 

“She’s already unconsciously accepted the bond, otherwise you wouldn’t be fretting so much as I said earlier. Just be yourself. She's your soulmate. Just control that undoubtedly uncontrollable mouth and temper of yours and you should be fine. For someone who hates to be touched and is uncomfortable around men, she seems to gravitate towards you, pup.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Inuyasha grumbled. 

“There is  **nothing** easy about it, pup. My relationship with your mother took a lot of work, especially with you involved.” He winked at his son, who rolled his eyes at the gesture. “I wouldn’t have changed a single thing; I hope you know that.” 

“I would have changed that she didn’t die before I finished puberty, but that’s just me.” He couldn't bring himself to look at his father; he knew it wasn't his fault that Izayoi was murdered. Inuyasha simply wished that she hadn’t died, not when he was so young and he had needed her **_so_** much. He was a momma’s boy—he knew that—and for once, he did not deny a silly title, but Inuyasha had been _so_ much closer to his mother than he had ever been with his father. 

His father was always busy, always working; the answer to play with him was always ‘later’, it was always moments missed and bonding he never participated in. Izayoi was the perfect mother. The perfect human, really. She always made time for her son, included him in her work, and seemingly never got mad at the antics he got himself into. It didn't matter that he had broken a vase or had gotten into the armory and somehow destroyed  _ everything,  _ or ran off on his own when he was overwhelmed with the bullying _.  _ She was so patient and kind, never raising her voice and always understanding his intentions, She  _ was _ quick to use venom in her words with Sesshoumaru when he was a complete asshat, though; the man was cold even back then, and though he had learned to love his brother today, 200 years ago, the daiyoukai was ruthless.

Izayoi was the one who took Inuyasha outside to explain the benefits and uses of plants, to watch the sunrise and sunset; she was one who always smiled, especially on his human nights when he was the most uncomfortable. Izayoi had always stayed up with him when he couldn't sleep, despite her own exhausting and demanding schedule, and the first new moon without her had ripped Inuyasha’s heart out just as much as initially losing her did. The quilt she had made him, which was normally such a comforting item, had become so unbelievably painful that he couldn’t even look at it on his human nights. After that first night, despite his best efforts, he didn’t sleep at all on his new moon nights eventually, he simply stopped trying, and he had kept the ritual to this day. 

Toga had tried to step in and fill her shoes, but he was never able to fill the void his wife’s death had created in either of their hearts.

“...How long until the concealment necklace is repaired?” Inuyasha asked, ears pinned back as he looked out the window forlornly. 

“Around a week, but I have a different one you can use until then. Won’t work perfectly, but better than nothing. Do  **not** break this one.” Toga pulled a silver ring out of his pocket, flicking it to his son with his thumb. 

Inuyasha caught the ring in his hand before glancing down to see just what ugly ornamental ring his father gave to him, only to see one of his mother’s ‘larger’ thumb rings. It was a silver band with inlaid yellow opals, one of his mother’s favorites. He remembered how she used to say that it reminded her of her two favorite men’s eyes.

Inuyasha sent his father a skeptical look. He wasn't sure if it would fit on any of his fingers at all, but it snugly fit onto his pinky finger. Immediately his youki began being pushed back to just under his skin and he felt the all-too-familiar slight discomfort of the concealment spell doing its job. The usual claw reduction, his ears morphed back into their human form but something— but something didn’t feel right, not compared to the concealment of his necklace. His youki was still thrumming around him. The ring wasn't working properly.

Inuyasha grabbed at his hair, pulling the strands in front of his face. It was a dark grey with silver threaded through it. Flipping his phone camera around, golden depths stared back at him instead of the dark grey he usually was given on his human nights. He still had slight fangs. “Oi, I thought this was supposed to make me look  _ normal.” _

“This is one of my concealments, attuned for me. It won’t work on you perfectly, but I was right in that it would hide… your most  _ unusual _ features. You’re  _ normal _ enough.”

‘ ** _Normal_** **_enough?_** What is this shit? I don’t look human **or** youkai. This is almost worse than not having a concealment at all.” Toga merely shrugged at his son’s complaints. 

“Fuck, this fit on one of your toes? It barely fits on my pinky finger.” Inuyasha continued to gripe, suddenly wishing he had wiped the ring off before placing it on. Well, great. The new concealment barely hid the ears at all and he still had all of his youkai senses, including his clearly poorly hidden youki. He really would have to get back into practice of reeling it in. 

“You need to control your behavior better, however,” Toga chastised him. “Miroku was pretty spooked that you tried to go full youkai on him over one of his dumb jokes. You know better than to let those rattle you, don't you, pup?”

Inuyasha growled in response, more or less acknowledging, yes, he did know. But couldn’t fucking control it.

The dog daiyoukai paused before trying to channel his own experiences in his answer. “You’ll be able to control your emotions better with time. It gets easier.” 

“Fuck, I hope so.” Inuyasha was pouting, jaw set and a surly expression on his face. “Whadda’ I tell Miroku?” 

“I’ll take care of that. Don’t worry.” Toga smirked.

\-----------------------

Kagome fidgeted in the back of the SUV. She was nervous. Normally she’d feel calm and protected with Sango in the car but with their... disagreements... lately, she didn't feel quite as comforted as she would have a week ago. There were too many questions and world-changing discoveries of late. Not to mention, her growing attachment to Inuyasha also made her question a lot more things as well.

“Hey, Miroku? Why does Toga care about what happens to me?” 

Miroku smiled. “Well, my dear Kagome,” he replied, “rumors circulated that you have a special power no one else possesses. A weird quirk with your Miko powers. There are some powerful people who would love to use you and your powers for selfish reasons. Get ahold of things they shouldn't, or open up seals like you did with the Noh mask years ago. 

“We haven’t had the chance to talk about it, and I am sorry about hiding our intentions from you initially, Kagome. We really are here to protect you; Inuyasha has especially taken a shine to you which neither Toga or I expected in all honesty.

“We’ll have to start training with you to see if your spell-breaking capabilities can be controlled, or if you just will break every concealment youkai wear. It’ll get expensive for Inuyasha to repeatedly get his charm fixed, you know?” Miroku sent another warm smile to Kagome. He had to give it to the girl: she was handling things pretty well given the circumstances. “We’ll need to start working with you soon to figure out the details of your powers, however. It may not be easy or comfortable, but it's important.”

Sango remained silent, listening to the conversation about her sister, and just kept her gaze out the window. She hoped that she could truly work on their relationship… that  _ she _ could be the one to support her best friend. Not that she  _ hated  _ Inuyasha or Miroku, but she was beginning to feel like their new relationship with them was making Kagome slightly pull back from her. Maybe  _ that _ was why she was so stubborn and kept disparaging Inuyasha. 

Sighing to herself, Sango leaned her head back and just watched as the buildings and cars went by.

\------------------------

Inuyasha stepped out of the limo in front of the apartment complex with a deep breath. He was irrevocably, one hundred percent,  _ fucked _ . Kagome was his mate. His one and only. He’d always thought she was gorgeous, but with… how she was currently—he wasn’t going to try to explain the situation, especially with her being a naive human. It was better that Kagome didn’t know about youkai life at all, or about him, for that matter. Yet, here she was, doomed to end up being soulmates with a hanyou. 

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. 

He couldn’t tell her. Not anytime soon, anyway. She just learned what he really was, and that she had some strange power that other youkai were after. Nothing like ruining his chances with his soulmate by adding that pressure onto her about that as well. Inuyasha would have to wait and build a relationship with her genuinely... While also being selective about what he’d tell her—or rather, anyone really. Miroku finding out that his youkai casually chose her to be their soulmate would end in ruin. That goddamn monk would find every single way to poke fun that he could, and while he would mean it in jest, Inuyasha couldn't take the chance that he’d somehow screw something up with Kagome. 

Shit. 

He pulled out his phone to shoot her a text, looking up to her apartment’s window longingly. He could simply jump to their third-story apartment window with ease, but he needed to control himself. 

His father explained the emotions are temporarily amplified in the beginning, to establish the bond. Yeah. It's just temporary; he could get through this weird… emotional period. It’ll fade with time to a normal level, thank god. Youkai instincts are always heightened initially. If she asked about soulmates or why he was acting the way he was, he’d tell her. But until then he’d shut his trap and just keep it to himself. He was already pining to see her after only a couple of hours apart. This soulmate stuff sucked ass. 

Inuyasha walked down the hallway of his apartment, thoroughly enjoying the lack of a hat, his jacket slung over his shoulder. The unmistakable smell of cherry blossoms hit him like a truck, causing his brows to furrow in confusion. What the fuck was Kagome doing in his apartment, and why did was the scent of fear permeating the air?

Barging through the door to see an uncomfortable Kagome on the couch, back to the far arm of it with her arms wrapped around her knees. He scanned the room quickly: Sango and Miroku stood by the counter having a discussion of some sort, which all but died when he entered the doorway. Inuyasha pulled off the ring, placing it in his jeans pocket, as he closed the door.

“The fuck’s goin’ on?” Kagome paled slightly at the sound of Inuyasha’s voice, rocking herself just enough to catch Inuyasha’s attention. He was at her side instantly, kneeling down next to the couch and leaning forward slightly to get a good look at her, heated golden eyes studying. Kagome wasn’t in the room, not mentally: her eyes glazed with a far off look. She was reliving her demons again. 

“She’ll be back to herself in a few minutes.” Sango spoke in Inuyasha’s direction, whose only response was a flick of his ear. 

“Kagome?” Inuyasha gently pulled at her sleeve with his claws. Shakily, her eyes looked over to him. The terror in her eyes crushed his chest, causing his breath to catch. Kagome was panicking. Scared. Whatever put her in that state had Inuyasha about to jump out of his own skin. 

“You okay?” Goddamn it, he wanted to hold her. Kagome nodded wordlessly, though the slight tremble in her limbs was making her real answer apparent. His fists balled reflexively, claws painfully dug into his palms. Inuyasha shook out his jacket before rolling the bottom open, motioning for Kagome to sit up as he pulled it over her, careful to keep contact from her as his jacket swallowed her tiny frame. If she liked his scent in her sleep, she’d like it awake. The tiny sigh she exuded was answer enough that he was correct. 

“Seems like someone felt like leaving Lady Kagome a message at the cafe.” Miroku’s face held a concerned look, but was able to keep his usual cheerful demeanor as the hanyou stood and made his way back to the kitchen counter. The small folded piece of paper sat inconspicuously. This little piece of paper had spooked them that bad? 

_ “Kagome -  _

_ Thank you for turning me back into my normal self. You’ve given me the opportunity to live a respectable life for the time being, until they find me again.  _

_ Be careful. Ban knows it awakened. _

_ They’re coming. _

_ -Suikotsu”  _

Inuyasha crumpled the note in his fist with a feral growl, tossing it back onto the counter. “Fuck ‘em.” 

  
“This is serious, Inuyasha,” Sango chided. 

“Do I look like the joking type, Sango? I’ll just find them and kill them. Problem solved,” Inuyasha hissed, eyes throwing daggers in her direction. Learning to deal with her for Kagome’s sake is going to be  **painful.**

“We don’t know who they are,” Miroku added, “short of Ban, and no one has been able to find him for nearly a decade. Our best course of action is to wait until they attempt to take Kagome again.”

“So what, Kagome’s just going to be the bait now? No. Fuck you, Miroku! Think of something better!” Inuyasha fumed, eyes not leaving Kagome’s petrified face. 

“You have a better idea, Inuyasha? We **have** to be one step ahead of them this time,” Miroku snapped at him. 

Kagome remained silent on the couch.  _ He _ was coming back for her. Ban was going to try to take her again. “I think… I need to call the police,” she finally mumbled, thinking something other than the horrifying flashbacks that made her skin crawl, that made her want to scratch until it came off again. The only thing that brought her out was the overwhelming warmth and weight of Inuyasha’s jacket.

“Kagome—these are demons. They won’t be able to do anything.” Inuyasha spoke softly to the trembling girl on the couch. “My family and I will make sure that you’re safe. We’ll kill these fuckers before anything happens to you,” he declared, and he sat down next to her. Her eyes finally met his, still a little hazy, but he knew she could very well see the absolutism locked within him. 

That he would die before anyone touched her ever again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 13! STUFFS STARTIN' TO HAPPEN! 
> 
> Thank you Fawn_Eyed_Girl and Lavendertwilight89 for all your help :) 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr for sneak peeks and updates, its also AnxietyAardvark

“Miroku, we’ve been at this for a couple of weeks and nothing has changed. No inkling of any sort of powers like you guys said. I think you have the wrong girl,” Kagome grumbled, cracking an eye open to peer at Miroku through her lashes. He looked so serene, sitting on a yoga mat across the living room while meditating. While she sat there pretending to meditate. 

“Kagome, you actually have to meditate to make any progress.” Cracking a smile, the monk exhaled through his nose while placing both hands on his knees. 

“I know, Miroku. I know. I just can’t get my mind blank no matter what I do. This isn’t like the hypnosis I undergo with Kagura. She talks me through everything so thoroughly; it’s so hard to learn to do it on my own...” Both of her eyes were now open while she touched the tips of her fingers together anxiously. 

“I’ll talk you through it this time, okay Kagome?” Miroku reassured her. “That way you can tell Inuyasha and Sango you’ve made progress when they get back.” 

Kagome fidgeted. It was so important for her to get a hold of her powers, for everyone. If she could control them, then maybe she could protect herself better; maybe she wouldn’t have Inuyasha and Sango worrying as much as they did. Miroku worried, but more so as a job requirement than as a member of the family. Although, she was becoming fast friends with the monk after their daily ‘training’ sessions, even when they ended up with zero results. 

Miroku swore that she had palpable, strong powers, yet she couldn't feel them. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she feel or use her powers effectively like everyone else? Inuyasha had mentioned that most Mikos experience their first powers when they hit maturity. Kagome broke a sealing spell when she was 4 years old—way before puberty—so why wasn’t it working anymore? She didn’t even remember having these powers; they'd never roared to life after the Noh mask incident. It was like they didn't want to be found, or were under a tight lock that she didn't have the key for. 

“Kagome?” Miroku asked.

“Let’s keep going,” Kagome said, resolved. “I need to get this figured out, and the sooner the better.” 

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Meiho opened the door to the family home, warmly hugging Sango with open arms as she stepped onto the porch. “Hi, Mama,” Sango said, hugging her mother back. “Where’s Dad?” 

“He’s on a hunt with Kohaku and your uncle. Some sort of snake demon infestation at a shrine near Mt. Hakurei.” 

“Mmmmmmm. Sounds fun, kinda bummed I missed out,” Sango said with a smile on her face, sarcasm heavy in her voice. 

Meiho raised her brows with a smirk. “Such a travesty I had to wait behind to meet you, I know.” She winked before wrinkling her nose with disgust. “Never was a fan of snakes. How’s Kagome? I’ve sent her a few text messages but she rarely gets back to your father and I lately.” 

Sango sighed heavily before smoothing her hair with her palms. “She's... still upset about everything. First, it was that she didn't know what the family did for a living. Now, it's frustration that we kill demons in the first place. She's really... bonded with Inuyasha. I’ve tried to explain the types of demons we exterminate are vermin, very little higher thinking, but she's not having it.

“Mama, I've been changing my views involving youkai like him. He’s a gruff asshole, sure, but he seems to really care about Kagome. It's nice knowing I can rely on those him and Miroku to keep an eye on her.” Sango smiled, thinking of the night before where all four of them had pizza together in Miroku and Inuyasha’s apartment. It had been a great time. Minimal arguing, Inuyasha was in a good mood, Kagome was happy, and Miroku was being his fantastic boyfriend self. She was... happy with their lives, after all. She thought that the boys would be nothing but trouble, but they'd become good friends—Miroku more so than Inuyasha, but the dog man was growing on her with his loyalty. 

Originally, she was bothered by the way Inuyasha had been able to get Kagome to open up to him in ways no one else could in the past 8 years. But seeing Kagome healing, actually almost pressing forward, made her realize that Kagome had to move on from her trauma. Sango was being selfish, wanting Kagome to rely on her as much as she had wanted. She needed to be happy for Kagome and needed to support her relationship with Inuyasha if that meant that Kagome could grow further.

“Good. You can use all the youkai friends you can get against the Meiotori. Speaking of, I have a present for you…” Meiho stated matter-of-factly, motioning past Sango to the gym building on the left of the house. The two women began walking to their home gym, going to a bookcase and pulling a number of books out; the bookcase audibly unlatched from the wall. Meiho pulled the bookcase back to expose a hidden door. 

Upon walking inside, Sango was met with a familiar sight. An assortment of weapons, including guns, naginata, katana, and various carbon-fiber armor, lined the walls. Numerous cabinets held various powders and dried demon organs to make different types of poisons. A tall glass case stood at the end of the room, holding even more weapons, with a distinct aged boomerang on a mantle at the top. 

“You know this is my Hiraikotsu, it's a weapon we rarely use due to its priceless value after being in the family for hundreds of years, but it will be useful against the bird youkai the Meiotori are known for using.” Meiho frowned slightly as she spoke, speaking as if she had practiced this explanation before Sango had arrived. 

“Just who are these people, Mama?”

“They're...for lack of a better term, bad guys. The demon version of the yakuza.” Meiho wasn’t happy her daughters were thrown in with these people. They were well-known in the demon world for their ruthlessness. It was a lesson she and Asato had learned years ago when Kagome came into their care; and then again, when the Meiotori hired the seven and Ban to get Kagome for her powers. That would be one of Meiho and Asato’s greatest regrets, not being able to see that Bankotsu was one of them. One of the bad guys. 

“We’re giving you an exceptionally important weapon today, Sango. This has been in our family for generations and is one of our greatest strengths. It's important to protect you and Kagome from these people, and there is nothing I would want you to have more than the Hiraikotsu.” Meiho opened the cabinet to grab the boomerang lovingly before handing it to Sango with a small bow. 

Sango held the tan leather-wrapped boomerang in her hand. It gripped well, but she didn't quite see how it would be an effective weapon against youkai. It didn't have serrated edges, or spikes: it looked like an ornamental aged boomerang. “This is one of the sacred weapons?” Sango asked, running her fingers along it. She didn't want to sound unappreciative, but she couldn't see how this would be her main weapon in today's age. “Why not just a gun?” 

“Let me see it?” Sango’s mother asked, before gripping the boomerang in her hand. Walking into the training courtyard, she eyed a tree at the end of it. She smiled, winking at Sango briefly before throwing the boomerang with a grunt of, “Hiraikotsu!” 

As soon as the weapon left Meiho’s fingertips, it began to grow dramatically in size, glowing a faint lavender while flying through the air with far more speed than was possible as it cleanly sliced through the tree before whizzing back towards the family. Sango's eyes widened in fear as the massive bone boomerang flew closer and closer, but was pleasantly surprised when it began to shrink back down to the size it had been in her hands. Effortlessly, her mother caught the weapon and turned to face her daughter. 

“It's imbued with the power to absorb jyaki. It’ll be extremely useful against flying enemies like the bird demons of the Meiotori. You take care of Hiraikotsu; this weapon has served our family well for hundreds of years now.” 

“H-how did it grow in size like that? Why didn't it get huge when I threw it?” Sango asked quizzically, examining the weapon with a newfound curiosity. She was in awe of the power of the boomerang. 

“You’ll have to perform a blood bond with it; if it accepts you, the bond will take,” Maiho said, fondly looking at her daughter. Hiraikotsu would most definitely accept Sango; there was no doubt about it. She had already become an ample slayer in her brief time working with them. 

“Okay,” Sango replied, “how do we perform the bond?” 

Maiho pulled a small blade from her sleeve and held it out handle first to Sango, who promptly took it. “You’ll have to slice your palm and hold it to the Hiraikotsu. It’ll be painful for a moment, but once the bond is complete, it is unbreakable.” 

Sango determinedly nodded before looking at the blade in her left hand. With one movement, she sliced open the palm of her right hand before gripping the boomerang. She felt the Hiraikotsu pulse, the yoki of the weapon briefly entering her hand, before an excruciating burning sensation rapidly spread through her body. She winced and took a hissing breath but kept her grip firm as the pain began to fade. 

The boomerang looked the same as it did before, which disappointed Sango slightly as she turned the weapon over in her hand. 

“Try it out. Aim for a tree across the courtyard. Say Hiraikotsu as you throw to deactivate the concealment,” Maiho urged. 

“Hiraikotsu!” With one throw of her arm the weapon roared to life, glowing a deep magenta as it haphazardly flew through the air and collided with the courtyard wall behind the trees. It bounced from the broken bricks and clattered to the ground before shrinking back to its original size. Blushing furiously, Sango turned to apologize, only to see her mother laughing with tears in her eyes. 

“Ohhhh honey, that was so much better than my first try! You’ll get it! I accidentally took the roof off of the storehouse with my throw.” Maiho wiped a tear from her eye as she smiled at Sango. “I love the new color, fits you beautifully. Each blood bond personalizes the aura, when I first got the sacred weapon its aura was a bright fiery orange from my grandfather.

“You’ll have to keep practicing today to perfect your technique. You’ll get it in no time, sweetheart.” 

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Inuyasha strode into the cafe, eyes scanning for his father’s unmistakable form. Sitting at a table to the side, Toga sat sipping a hot chocolate. 

“Hey, Dad.”

“Pup! It's so good to see you!” Toga stood and wrapped his arms around Inuyasha, lifting him off the floor in a crushing embrace. Inuyasha merely accepted the hugs at this point; no matter how much he grumbled and fought against it, he couldn't get out of his father’s hold so… he just had to wait for it to be over. It didn't matter how long it had been since he had seen his father: it was always good for Toga to see him. 

A few moments later, Toga gently dropped his son to the ground. 

“What have you learned?” Inuyasha sat down in the chair across from Toga, eyeing the second cup on the table before briefly sniffing the contents and taking a drink. 

“Not much. The seven are staying low. The Meiotori have been quiet as well; I don’t trust it. No movement from our sources. If this note is to be believed like you said it should, then we still need to keep our guard up.” 

“What makes the seven so dangerous? Just a bunch of humans should be easy enough to take care of.” Inuyasha arched a brow at his father, 

“This group of men aren’t your average humans, pup. They’ve all got their own weapons and abilities that could put a few demons to shame. You would do well not to underestimate them.” Toga looked at Inuyasha with a knowing look. He was similar to his son when he was younger: hot-headed with a distinct lack of patience. It was like Toga could see into his son’s head and understand his desire to find this group of men and take them out. 

“Lotta good that does us. She's been scared to leave the apartment or be by herself for a week now. She reeks of stress and anxiety.” Inuyasha growled in frustration, before grumbling to himself. It was selfish of him to complain about her scent, but he missed her usual fragrance of cherry blossom, or how when she was happy, it was laced with a sweet sugary cent, or how it spiked just slightly with ginger when she would stare at him when he wasn't looking. He missed smelling that. Inuyasha needed to murder whoever was getting in the way of it. 

“She cannot fall into their hands, Inuyasha.” 

“I’m well aware. Why is she so fuckin important in the first place? You never give me a straight answer.” 

“Her powers are very dangerous if they were to fall into the wrong hands, pup.” 

“Oh for fuck’s sake—will you just tell me? Really? I’m your son; she’s supposedly my soulmate! Don’t you think I need to know?!” Inuyasha didn’t really have a begging face anymore, but the emotion he showed in his eyes had his father sighing dejectedly. He’d won. 

“Over 500 years ago,” Toga began, “I helped Midoriko seal a… problematic demon. Tekkei had the ability to pull souls from the afterlife and use them to do her bidding. She had begun to challenge me for my title, stating a true Lord of the West would wipe out the ‘human problem’. I was willing to live amicably with humans while... Tekkei viewed them as vermin—they were just food for her birds with little worth. Taking up her territory while causing problems for her kin.” 

Toga paused momentarily to read Inuyasha’s face before continuing. 

“Because of her abilities, she was a force to be reckoned with; I was unable to destroy her on my own, though the Tenseiga was able to absorb her powers of pulling souls back from the brink of death—which she took offense to. Tekkei wants me dead, as well as all the humans, and these Meiotori are doing their damndest to see that she is awakened. Midoriko was the only priestess with strong enough abilities to seal her away—potentially forever. She was the strongest miko I have ever seen.” 

“So Kagome has powers rivaling Midoriko’s, is what you're telling me.” Inuyasha leaned back in the chair with a surprised look on his face, absorbing the information his father was giving him. 

“In a sense, I suppose.” 

“In a sense—you tell me right now before I take Kagome so far away from Japan you never see either of us again.” Inuyasha lifted his hand and pointed at the table, his claw digging a small divot into the surface. 

“I’m telling you, Inuyasha, I am certain that Kagome is Midoriko’s reincarnation. I knew it as soon as I laid eyes on her—her face, her spirit, her powers all link her back to the priestess who aided me 500 years ago. She’s the only one who can break Tekkei’s barrier seal.” Toga’s irritated matter-of-fact tone immediately had Inuyasha’s anger heating.

“You KNEW and you are just now deciding to tell me months into this assignment? After telling me that she’s my soulmate, knowing that people are after her, potentially for the rest of her life, that she’s the reincarnation of the strongest priestess you’ve ever met, and you’re just now explaining this to me?? These people have already made it clear they’ll be after her until—they what? Get her to break the seal on this demon that you couldn’t even kill? God, you piss me off.” The irritation in his voice grew; his lips curled in a snarl, as he crossed his arms across his chest. 

“You learned when I thought it necessary.” Toga calmly spoke, though Inuyasha knew through years of watching his father work that there was anger brewing below the surface.

“Oh. Fuck. Off. You should have told me sooner and you know it,” Inuyasha hissed, jumping to his feet and subsequently pushing the chair back violently to the floor. He stormed away from the table, youki flailing wildly around him, pausing briefly at the doorway to give his father a cold glare. “You know when you complain about us not being close? This is the kind of shit you pull that prevents that. At least Mom knew how to be a good parent.” 

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A frustrated growl left Kagome as she tensed and clenched her fists. “IT’S. NOT. WORKING!!” 

Miroku sighed, rubbing his neck as his head tilted to the side in defeat. “Well, I’m not as calming and trained as well as Kagura for hypnosis, like you said, but I’ll try to look into it to see if it’ll help. You’ll be able to calm and focus eventually, Kagome.”

“Can we take a break please?” she grumbled. 

“Of course! Let’s go get some coffee. You’re practically falling asleep sitting here” Miroku paused briefly to watch Kagome’s face flash with anxiety before he continued, “Inuyasha will be back soon; you don’t have to worry! He can meet us there if you’d like.”

Kagome nodded eagerly. 

Miroku sent a text to Inuyasha, asking him to meet them at the park when he got back from his father-son date. 

“We can cut through the park—the closest coffee shop is across from it.” Kagome was hesitant to leave the apartment after nearly two weeks of staying inside, but there had been zero signs of youkai activity in the area. She didn't doubt the note’s intentions. But maybe it had been a bit pre-emptive, and coffee sounded fantastic. 

Once they reached the park, Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. It was late in the evening at this point, but the park was full of people. Being in public when she felt so insecure almost helped; no one would try to take her so openly in public. 

The pair got their drinks; Kagome held the chai tea Miroku bought her, gently sipping on their walk back through the park. Miroku said that they would be meeting Inuyasha there shortly, something Kagome found surprisingly exciting after how much time they had spent with each other lately. She was giddy, happy to see him, even though it only had been half a day. 

She couldn’t wait to tell Kagura how much she had been progressing lately, whenever she made time to go back to another appointment. She had canceled all their appointments due to the new-found absurdity in her life. How could she explain that demons are real, that she's being chased by a gang of evil demons, that she's enjoying the company of a man, oh, and he's a half demon too? Kagome was beginning to understand why they had kept this from her. It complicated everything. 

She’d end up in a psych ward if she tried to explain anything. 

Kagome shook herself of the thought, forcing a smile onto her face as she walked with Miroku through the park, eyeing a bench near the center. She could sit and wait for Inuyasha to meet them; it would be a nice break from the constant stress of... trying to relax. She had to roll her eyes at that one; of course, it should have been a simple meditation session that was taking up so much time. 

As they sat down, a man walked up to the pair of them.

“Miss Kagome?”

Kagome studied the man in front of her thoroughly before responding. She had no memory of meeting this man previously. At least, that’s what she had thought. Miroku tensed slightly on the bench next to her, his hand resting on his front right pocket full of sutras. 

“Ban did a good job of keeping your face clean, didn't he? What a lucky girl.” 

Kagome felt as though the ground had suddenly fallen out beneath her, a brief sensation of falling and vertigo overtook her as she stared at the man in horror. She never should have left the apartment. Where was Inuyasha? He needed to be here, now. 

“Who are you?” Miroku's voice was terse and defensive as he pressed closer to Kagome. His initial thought was to stand between them, but he wanted to be sure if anything or anyone came up behind them, he would be ready. The man raised his hands in front of him in placating fashion before he spoke.

“I’m not here to cause trouble, believe me. If I were, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I’m Renoktsu, one of the Shichinintai, and we’ve been hired to get lovely lady Kagome here to help Princess Abi with a particular problem only she can fix.” Renkotsu casually shoved his hands into his pockets, looking calm and comfortable as his attention fixed to Kagome before scanning the crowd. “Where's your half-breed?” Renkotsu asked with a sneer, watching Kagome’s lips purse in anger. 

“He’ll be here any minute! Inuyasha won’t be happy you’re here; I think you better leave,” Kagome spat, suddenly fearless of the man after he insulted Inuyasha. How dare he? 

“I’ll leave, once I have an answer from you.” 

“About what?” Kagome glared at the man, and though she had the confidence to give him sass, she was panicking internally. Reminding herself that she was in public with Miroku and that he was essentially her bodyguard helped marginally in keeping herself from shrinking into a little ball. While it scared her beyond belief that this man knew and worked with Bankotsu, she wasn't alone, and if what Inuyasha said was true, he would do anything to protect her. Kagome merely hoped that he would get there in time.

“I’ve got a tendency to think about the big picture, Kagome. I'm giving you the opportunity to help us before we make you. Help the Meiotori with their small problem, break one little seal, and you’ll get to walk away and live your life with your precious inu hanyou and sidekicks. Which would be easier, don’t you think?” 

“I’m never helping you. Just leave me alone!” Her voice raised to a yell in desperation, panic beginning to overtake her as she looked around wildly, pulling her knees to her chest in a way to protect herself. Inuyasha said he’d be here; Miroku was sure of it. Why wasn't he here—why wasn't he coming to save her?! Her eyes began to fill with tears as she looked at Miroku, who gave her a reassuring glance as he turned back to Renkotsu with a hot glare of anger.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Inuyasha stepped out of his father’s limo, grumbling quietly to himself. Of course he’d somehow get the most complicated soulmate on earth, but fuck if she wasn’t worth it. Being Midoriko’s reincarnation was an incredibly big deal. No wonder the Meiotori were after her the way they were; she was the only way they could release Tekkei from her prison that Midoriko had sealed with his father over 500 years ago. 

Scenting the air briefly, he caught onto Miroku and Kagome’s scents, but tensed once he smelled their fear in the air. Clenching his jaw, he began to briskly walk towards the center of the park. The closer he got, the stronger the scent of fear became. This wasn't fast enough. Fuck it. He began to sprint at full speed, weaving between surprised pedestrians as he skidded to a stop a few meters from the bench. 

“KAGOME??” Inuyasha yelled to her, brows furrowing at the sight of the fair-complexioned bald man in front of them. Fear and anxiety permeated the air as Kagome sat clutching her coffee cup, idly thumbing the paper sleeve, her knees drawn up to her chest as her eyes were looking about frantically. Her head snapped to attention at the sound of his voice, relief flooding over her features as her lower lip trembled. In one instant, she had dropped her coffee and ran to him, throwing her arms around his chest in a tight, desperate hug. 

Miroku rose from his seat and stood on the other side of Renkotsu to block off his escape and possible help from anyone else. He pulled two sutras from his pocket and stood defensively, ready to strike. 

“You’d better consider our offer, Higurashi. Our employers were more benevolent this time to send me rather than Bankotsu again; he’s got a score to settle with you for giving him that scar.” Renkotsu motioned to his forehead, before tapping twice at the center of it. Kagome audibly swallowed and couldn’t suppress the whimper that came from her lungs as her mind flashed back to the moment she was able to bash Bankotsu in the face with her shackles before escaping her torture chamber. The fight-or-flight she had in that moment saved her life. If she hadn't escaped, she would be dead right now: Kagome was sure of it. She pressed her face into Inuyasha’s chest, wishing the images and thoughts away with something familiar and warm. 

“I think the fuck not,” Inuyasha growled, feeling Kagome tremble against his body. Firmly wrapping his arms around her, he briefly squeezed her shoulder before he raised one arm to crack his knuckles and extend his claws. “You’ll be leaving before I gut you right here, you piece of shit. You won't threaten Kagome and leave here alive,” he snarled. Fuck whoever this guy was. 

“Oh, but won't I?” Renkotsu said smugly before taking a few steps towards them, quickly turning in a circle with his arms extended out. “You can’t with all these humans around, such a pity. You can’t touch me, half breed.”

“Heh. You think I care that they all see? What’s one more murder around here?” Inuyasha threatened, his voice low and gravelly as the distinct purple jagged stripes began appearing on his cheeks and his eyes turned a deep red, although his golden irises remained. “You’ll be dead soon enough. Get behind me, Kagome.” Through her tears and lashes, she looked up at him blurrily to see his eyes had turned a dark crimson color, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. What was happening to him? Unwittingly she remained pressed to his chest, even as his arm dropped, fascinated by the change.

Miroku leapt past Renkotsu to lunge at Inuyasha, gripping the hanyou around his arms, trying to calm him down. The last thing they needed was him to kill someone in broad daylight. His father could clean up a lot of messes—he wasn’t sure if this could be one.

Renkotsu stepped away with a villainous laugh. “Careful monk, I think your dog man is about to lose his cool.” He smirked before feigning a disappointed sigh. “Alright Kags, I guess we’ll do this the hard way. Be seein’ you, chickadee.” He sent a knowing look in her direction before turning and walking away, disappearing down the park path. 

A feral snarl escaped Inuyasha’s lips as he watched the mysterious man disappear before Miroku yelled his name to snap him back to reality. His youki dissipated, and he immediately realized that Kagome had begun to sob uncontrollably against his frame, white knuckles gripping his shirt. Oh shit. Kagome. He needed to make sure she was okay before he made any move to chase that fucker down. 

He had done it reflexively, his arms grabbing her and holding her close, and for a brief moment, the realization that he was holding her terrified him—that she would pull away from his comfort, but his fears were quelled but a moment after when she gripped him tighter as she sobbed quietly. Wordlessly, he rewrapped his arms around her, cupping the back of her head softly with his open palm. 

“Y-Y-ou--c-c-ame.” Her relieved voice was broken by sporadic hiccups. She was in public crying into a man’s chest and she was sure people were staring, causing her chest to clench in even more despair. She needed to go home. 

He couldn't smell any blood, otherwise, he’d be chasing down that Renkotsu fuck and hanging his innards from tree branches right then. He didn't care in the slightest that he was in public right now. That bastard would die by his hands for threatening her: he’d make sure of it. Her response snapped him out of his stupor and murderous thoughts. How broken she sounded. How relieved she was…

“I’ll always come for you, Kagome,” he said, softly enough for only her to hear.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't been updating the past couple of weeks, needed a mental health break from the holidays going into the new year. I'm back on the wagon though so I'm hoping to update regularly again :) 
> 
> Also, RWB HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR BEST ANGST 1ST QUARTER 2021 BY THE FEUDAL CONNECTION AND I CRIED. 
> 
> Here's chapter 14, I hope you like it! 
> 
> Thank you to Lavendertwilight89 and Fawn_Eyed_Girl for all your help <3 
> 
> *I don't make anything off of writing this and I don't own Inuyasha **

Kagome walked into her apartment with sagging shoulders. The adrenaline rush of the events at the park had left her thoroughly exhausted. Sango hadn't arrived home yet, which was perfect; she didn't have the energy to explain everything to her soon-to-be irate sister. What she needed… was a shower, or a bath, and then she wanted nothing more than to climb into her bed and sleep until the next day. 

Inuyasha stepped in from behind her and leaned against the arm of the couch with a pensive look as he removed the opal ring from his pinky finger, occasionally glancing at Kagome before staring at the floor again. 

“Inuyasha?” Kagome grew concerned when he didn't answer, repeating his name once more, which finally roused a questioning hum from the silver-haired man. 

“Are you beating yourself up right now? I know what that looks like, you know.” 

A frustrated sigh left him as he fidgeted with his claws, scowling, and scuffing the floor with his shoe. “I should have been there.” 

“What are you talking about? You got there in time. You saved me like you promised.” 

“Not soon enough. I’m sorry, Kagome. I could smell how scared you both were,” Inuyasha grumbled. He was kicking himself. He should have been here from the start, not talking to his dad about protecting Kagome: he needed to be there, just doing it. She needed him and he wasn't there to protect her. 

This wasn't a mistake he was going to make twice. 

“Y-you can't be everywhere at once, Inuyasha. You have other responsibilities.” Kagome walked to stand in front of him, staring at his chest rather than up at his face. She didn't want to lose confidence in herself while she was trying to make him feel better. 

“Not anymore. I’m never leaving you unprotected again,” Inuyasha scoffed as he spoke, craning his neck to get a better look at his future mate. There was no point in denying it anymore. 

Yeah. Mate. It sounded so right, yet he couldn’t say a goddamn thing about it. Making his piss-poor mood even worse. 

She dared a glance up at him and could see him practically wilting before her eyes, his ears drooping as he battled with himself. He didn't seem to understand that he ended up saving her in the end. “Plus, what if you had gotten hurt?” she asked as she averted her eyes again. 

“You’re worth getting hurt over, woman. Don’t be silly. I’d die for you.” His words were resolute; Inuyasha had answered with zero hesitation. She looked up at him to see her protector looking uncomfortable, a blush over his handsome features as he avoided eye contact. 

This Kagome? Worth dying over? How could he say that? He held her too high… But, Kagome could see that he meant every word, and what was crazier, she believed him. She was definitely overwhelmed, probably in shock from the night’s events. He told her that he valued her life more than his own—implying he cared more than anyone else on this planet. 

Kagome gingerly reached her hands forward, placing them on his cheeks, watching his eyes widen in surprise or excitement; she wasn’t sure which, but she’d make sure it was both. He deserved it. He just saved her, and...and she was sure she trusted him and liked him enough to do this. ‘Liked’ was probably the understatement of the year. But she still… she still wasn’t sure if she was ready to admit all that yet.

He was so rough around the edges to everyone, everyone other than her. Miroku told her brief stories on previous assignments they had been on, Inuyasha barely bothered to speak, he’d let Miroku handle the talking. For him to be this invested in her meant that he was going out of his comfort zone to make sure she was okay, like he had done on so many occasions at this point. She liked him. She could push outside her own comfort zone and give him a token of appreciation, and give him an insight into how much she cared about him. 

Plus, the guy was gorgeous. In any other situation, someone like him would never be interested in a quiet psychology nerd with so much baggage. At the very worst, if he didn’t want the kiss, she’d be horrified, the epitome of embarrassed, but in the end, she could say she kissed a true 10/10. She’d never understand how he was bullied for how he looks. The strong defined features, long silver hair, his honey eyes betrayed his hard exterior. Looking at them she could easily see the emotions swirling within. Whatever he felt, it was reflected in the amber depths. Currently, she could see the same nervousness that she was trying her best to hide. 

“K-Kagome? What are you—?” He didn’t want her doing anything that she didn’t really want to do, but the excitement brimming under his skin had him itching to reach down and kiss her. He was positive and didn’t want to read into it too much, but he was fairly positive she was gonna— 

Agonizingly slowly, Kagome leaned forward, watching his reactions, and repeatedly telling herself: she could do this. She could kiss him. She could kiss the man who saved her life. 

Their lips touched ever so gently; Kagome began to thread her fingers against his scalp, and felt the soft, yet coarse, nature of his ethereal silver hair. His lips were so soft: softer than she had ever imagined, and they eagerly responded to the touch of her own. Holy shit, she was doing it. She was touching and kissing a man after 8 long years. 

Inuyasha involuntarily groaned at the feel of her lips against his. He would have found it embarrassing as fuck if he hadn’t been so unbelievably happy that this was his reality. It was finally happening. She was kissing him; he didn’t have to worry about being too forward or touching her when she didn’t want to. The relief he felt was second only to the feel of their contact. He leaned forward further to deepen the kiss, unable to stop himself: he’d waited so goddamn long. He had been so good and faithful and patient—it paid off. It also finally answered his long dying question on if she even liked him at all. Thank the fucking Gods!

The sound of turning locks had Kagome break contact, blushing furiously as she meekly looked up at him with wide eyes before stepping away towards the kitchen counter. Inuyasha sat immobilized, unable to take his eyes off of the woman who had without even trying, burrowed so deep into his heart. His instincts were singing, yet he had to fight that side of himself not to break the distance between them and continue where they had left off. The sound of footsteps broke his trance as he sat straight against the couch, ears keenly listening to the familiar gait. Sango burst through the door, dropping her bag onto the floor as she strode over to Kagome to wrap her in a tight hug. 

“What happened? Miroku said some guy threatened you at the park? Are you okay?” Sango pulled away to look at Kagome’s still flushed face, before quizzically looking at a furiously blushing Inuyasha, who was uncharacteristically smiling while licking his lower lip, decidedly avoiding eye contact with her.

“I-I um—I’m fine!” Kagome stammered.

Sango pointed her finger at Inuyasha accusedly. “Stay, Boy.” Earning an eye roll from the hanyou. His smile faltered for a moment, but did not leave completely, indicating he really was riding a high for him to not come back with a retort. 

Before he could say anything she pulled Kagome by her wrist into her bedroom and closed the door, whipping around to face a sheepish Kagome. 

“Spill it.” 

“Sango—”

“Nope, spill it. Why were both of you blushing so hard when I walked in? You get threatened in the park and decide to come back to the apartment and you’re not panicking at all—you’re just… Oh my God! Did I miss Kagome’s first makeout session?” 

A coughing noise was heard through the door from the living room. 

“Sango! He! Can! Hear! You!” Kagome hissed, slapping Sango’s arm with each word, and if she was red before, she was now rivaling a tomato. 

Wordlessly, Sango pressed play on the stereo system on her dresser as music flooded the room. A smug smile spread across her face at Kagome’s slow realization that she couldn't avoid this conversation. Inuyasha had initially been a threat to Sango when they had first met; while over time they had become far more amicable with their common ground of caring about Kagome, she still refused to let his hovering come between girl time with her sister.

“Not anymore.”   
______________________________________________________________________

Kagome woke up the next morning feeling giddy. After a night of giggling and talking to Sango, with numerous trips to the kitchen for snacks, which earned skeptical-yet-endearing looks from a certain hanyou and devilish grins from Miroku, her stress levels had dropped dramatically. It helped mend their fractured relationship, being able to talk about boys, gossip, and just act their age. Sango seemed surprisingly tolerant of Kagome and Inuyasha’s kiss, their budding maybe-relationship, and Kagome noted a lack of the word’ half-breed’ during their conversations, which gave her hope that maybe he had begun to grow on her sister as well. 

It was surprising her that she felt as good as she did, considering the threat on her life yesterday, but she was elated for what today was going to bring her. It was the new prospects that she didn’t have previously that had her excited… She had kissed him; she did it. He kissed her back, and she didn’t regret it. 

Was this what she had expected would be her life? Absolutely not, but she had a pull towards Inuyasha that she couldn’t explain, and over the course of the last couple of months that pull had cemented into a trust she had complete faith in. He’d never let anything happen to her, and though she wasn’t exactly sure of her end of this bargain, she could help him feel comfortable and appreciated. To feel comfortable in his own skin around her as well as show her gratitude for everything he’s done for her.

Opening the door of Sango’s bedroom to freshen up and take a shower for the day, Kagome was surprised to make eye contact with a sleepy Inuyasha sitting on the ground, leaning on the doorframe of her bedroom. His ears swiveled at the noise of the door opening and bloodshot eyes looked up at her before squinting closed as he yawned. 

“Inuyasha? Did you stay overnight? D-did you sleep?” 

“No.” 

“A-again?” Kagome squeaked. “That can’t be healthy; you should go take a nap. If you’re worried, you can get Miroku to come down to swap spots with you?” 

“No. I’ll just take a short nap while you shower,” he mumbled. 

“You push yourself too hard, you know?” With an exasperated sigh, she went to go shower. The shower was short, but longer than her usual ones, taking the time to write a new motivational sticky note with a dog with suspiciously similar ears to a certain hanyou in the room over. 

Kagome spent the morning running back and forth over the idea of seeing Kagura for the first time in over two months. Sango was for the idea, citing the importance of mental health and with all the ‘bullshit’ that had happened to her recently, she needed an outlet. She let Inuyasha nap on the couch for a few hours before waking him up, which earned little-to-no thanks from the hanyou. 

Inuyasha immediately rejected the idea, telling Kagome to just have a phone appointment. He argued she shouldn't go out where the Seven had the potential to threaten her again, but the insistence of Sango and Kagome finally had him relent to their request. He was grumpy, more grumpy than he would have been staying up all night, and seemed even more stressed than the night before, trying to think of any possible reason for her not to go. 

Inuyasha couldn't simply tell her “Kagura has been feeding my father information on you for the past few years.” Though it would have been almost preferable to what would potentially happen. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to tell if Kagura was a demon? Maybe it would go smoothly, unlike the majority of the youkai interactions Inuyasha has experienced in his life? 

When she gave Kagura’s office a call, Kagome couldn’t hold back the surprised look on her face that her therapist had an available appointment that day. 

\------------------------------

Kagome arrived at Kagura’s counseling office with Inuyasha in tow. He stopped at the stairwell of the office complex parking garage with hesitant steps. He’d run out of excuses for Kagome not to go up and see Kagura, the informant who’d fed his father information about Kagome for years now. 

“Kagome, I need to—”

“Inuyasha, I don’t know why you’re so dead set on making me late to this but—”

“I need to tell you something, woman!” Inuyasha snapped, causing Kagome to stop walking, turning around to face him. She looked at him expectantly, albeit a little irritated. 

“Kagome, about Dr. Kagura Kaze…” He started. “I know she’s important to you, but there's something you need to know.” 

Arching a brow, Kagome pulled out her phone to look at the time before her eyes widened. “Oh shoot, I’m gonna be late! Hold that thought, okay?” She whipped around and bounded up the stairs. 

Inuyasha was left standing at the bottom of the staircase as he watched her excitedly bound up to the office space. This was going to go horribly, he knew it. Grimacing, he began to follow her up. 

\----------------------

“Good Morning Kanna!” Kagome chirped as she walked into Kagura’s office with a smile. Her last glimpse of Inuyasha pouting in the waiting room chair with his usual scowl had her heart fluttering that he wanted to go in with her so badly. Kagome turned her head to see Kagura sitting at her desk; the red-heeled clad woman aimed a warm smile in Kagome’s direction. 

“Kagome! Sweetheart, it’s been far too long! I’ve been waiting to see you!” Kagura cheerfully spoke as she looked down at the stack of papers being sorted through before placing it on the desktop, shifting her bangs slightly as she looked at the cerulean eyed girl. The therapist was dressed professionally, her maroon pencil skirt and white billowing blouse contrasted beautifully with the jade earrings adorning her ears. Her signature two white feathers clipped high into her left forelock reached down to her collarbone. This was the therapist Kagome had grown to love and care for the past 7 years, with whom she shared her deepest secrets, pains, and triumphs.

The cup of water Kagome held dropped to the ground, causing Kagura to look up with concern as the raven-haired woman stood stuck, her eyes wide with disbelief. Kagome was getting dizzy—really dizzy looking at her therapist, like she had with Inuyasha. Kagura was, apparently, a demon with a concealment charm. 

“Y-you’re a youkai?” 

“Oh, dear.” Kagura paused, looking for the right words as she nervously pushed a lock of her mid-back-length black hair behind her ear. “Yes… Seems your powers have begun to wake up?” She spoke carefully, watching for Kagome's reaction with every word, as if testing the waters of what Kagome knew about herself. 

“You knew about them?” Kagome’s voice cracked as she spoke, and nervously shifted her weight as she tried to calm herself. This was on a whole different level than discovering Inuyasha’s youkai heritage. She had known Kagura for years; they had shared traumas with each other, cried, and grown as people together in this very room. All the while, her confidant was a youkai who knew about the powers that Kagome, herself, had long forgotten. Was Kagura one of the good ones? 

“Kagome—I—” 

“I-I don't know you, not the real you.” Focusing on Kagura’s frame, she searched for the concealment that would undoubtedly cause her head to spin. Inuyasha had explained that mikos could see the distortion around the concealment charms, which was why Kagome had started becoming dizzy around him as her powers began to awaken. She stopped at the feathers as the now distinct spinning sensation fell over her. “Y-your feathers.” 

With a sigh, Kagura opened the clip holding them in her hair, and placed the feathers on her desk. Instantly, her brown eyes turned a pupil-less ruby. Surrounding Kagome’s long-time friend and therapist was a swirling white wind, endlessly rolling with tumultuous gusts.

“I’m a wind youkai,” Kagura stated matter-of-factly. “But I’m still also your licensed therapist, I promise.” Kagura's smile had always calmed Kagome, and while it still held its usual caring appearance, Kagome was growing more and more anxious by the minute. 

Suddenly, Inuyasha burst through the door with a growl. “The fuck is happening in here? Kagome? You okay?” 

“Ahhh, Inuyasha dear; can you tell Kagome I’m one of the good guys?” Kagura said with a wink, motioning to Kagome.

“I never told you his name. How do you know him?” Kagome questioned, ire growing in her voice. She took a step away and turned to Inuyasha, searching his face for answers. “How does she know your name?” 

He averted her gaze, unable to look at her pained expression, brows furrowing as he glared at Kagura. “She doesn't know me personally—uh—” 

Kagura lifted her hand to her neck and sliced her fingers horizontally across it in a "don't say a word" motion to Inuyasha. 

And here he was having another internal dilemma. He knew his father wanted Kagome to continue to go to her therapy sessions to find out the tiniest details about her experiences with Bankotsu, to learn if she had any inkling of the extent of her powers, of her previous life as Midoriko, etc. Inuyasha had promised to never lie to Kagome again, and he knew this was going to bite him in the ass as soon as he left this room, but a promise was a promise. 

“Kagura works for the Taisho family. She knows my dad, and apparently, me. He’s been getting updates on you apparently for years now.” He still couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye but he could smell the shift in her scent and the saltiness of her unshed tears, hearing the roar of her increased heart rate as it beat wildly against her chest. 

Kagome's heart felt like it was ripped out of her and pulled into the depths of the earth. She had had her most heart-wrenching breakthroughs, crying bouts, laughs, and bonding through her years of therapy. She knew that Kagura was a paid therapist; it was Kagura’s job, after all, but Kagome never in her life expected Kagura to be breaking doctor-patient privileges. Not after all the promises of confidentiality and true friendship Kagome thought had developed.

“He didn’t tell me much about you, I swear. I told him it was fucked up what he was doing; you can ask Miroku,” Inuyasha pleaded. 

Wordlessly, Kagome began to walk out of the room, visibly in shock. It just seemed life couldn't stop slipping her footing out from under her. Questions began buzzing, causing an uncontrollable spiral in her mind. How much did the legendary Toga know about her? How much did Inuyasha know? Were any of Inuyasha’s actions genuine, or were they tactfully thought up from what Kagura had told them she would react well to? Did Kagome really know anyone at this point? Anyone at all?

“G-Goddamnit,” Kagome mumbled to herself, hiccuping her words as she passed Kanna, who merely watched the young woman shove the doors to Kagura’s office open. She needed out—she needed—

The feeling of her heart pounding in her chest, she hastily began running down the halls of Kagura’s office and down the flights of stairs into the parking garage, looking around wildly for any exits she ran around the corner and slid to the ground. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Inuyasha, you dumb brat, I could kill you right now,” Kagura seethed, her red eyes full of anger. 

“Yeah, yeah, she deserved to know. I promised her I wouldn’t lie to her anymore,” Inuyasha shot back, fists clenched as he picked up the sounds of her quiet sobs from down the hall. 

“Your father is going to be furious! Years of progress down the drain because you have a crush on the girl. Your father should have sent Sesshomaru; he at least knows how to keep his trap shut.” 

“Fuck off Kagura, and at the moment, you can pass that along to my dear old dad for keeping this stunt up as long as the two of you did. Kagome would go on and on about how wonderful you were, about how much she trusted you and your judgement. She fucking cared and I know damn well this was just another job for you.” Disgust was evident in his voice as he pointed at her accusingly before turning away and headed to the door. The irony of his rant was not lost on him, but he hated this arrangement from the day he heard about Kagura’s involvement. 

Inuyasha missed Kagura’s form slumping slightly as she hung her head. “I do care about her, you know. She's grown on me over the years, and she really is my patient. I’ve been so proud of the progress we’ve made. Please tell her that.” 

Inuyasha paused for a moment, staring out the open door as he spoke softly before determinedly stalking down the hall to find Kagome. “She’s easy to care about.”

\-----------------  
Inuyasha rubbed his temple as he bounded down the parking garage staircase, two to three steps at a time. Lying to Kagome was out of the question, but he had tried his damndest to stop her from going and finding out about Kagura in the first place. 

He could hear Kagome’s sniffling as he reached the bottom of the steps, and while it immediately calmed him to know that she hadn't left the building, this was going to be a painful conversation. 

“Kagome?” Inuyasha called out. He knew where she was, but didn’t want to startle her with his sudden appearance around the corner. At the sound of his voice, she became silent before emitting a weak, “Over here.” 

The pained expression on his face was quickly hidden with a small smile as Kagome glared at him when he rounded the corner. 

“You knew,” Kagome said, matter of factly. 

“Yeah.”

“I had no idea…” Kagome murmured. “I don’t really know anyone, do I?” With a scoff, she looked away from him, wrapping her arms around her knees. It was a comforting measure she’d take every time she was upset. A telltale sign that this wasn’t going to be an easy fix.

“You know me, don’t you?” His attempt to make her feel better backfired as she glared daggers in his direction. 

“I thought I did. But who knows? The nice guy from the gym turned out to be a demon, a youkai. Has anything you’ve told me about yourself been real? I mean, I told Kagura my deepest darkest fears, along with my dreams and goals. She’d know what I’d want to hear, feed it to your dad, and tell you what to do. What if your kindness has been a ruse to get close to me because Kagura said I’d react well to it?” Kagome shouted, her yell echoing in the near-empty garage. Inuyasha flinched. His soulmate had a set of pipes on her, that was certain. “What if none of it is real?” 

“You seriously think I can act? Act like I like you? I don’t like anyone but you!'' Inuyasha shouted back in an offended tone. Her accusation hit him where it hurt, as if she knew the exact button to press to cause his anger to rise up. His youki flared around him from his rage at being called a fucking liar.

“You acted human pretty convincingly,” Kagome hissed. 

“I’m half-human, it’s not acting!” Inuyasha growled, his fist clenched. She’d never seen him on a human night, and he preferred not to bring it up during an argument like this, but he’d do it to quell her anger if that’s what it took. 

Kagome would normally have been terrified of a man acting that way towards her, with open aggression and clenched fists, but something in her had snapped. She was done. She was done being lied to, done being scared of everyone and everything. At least she was right now, glaring back at Inuyasha with a ferocity in her eyes that he had never seen in her before. 

“Kagome… I swear on my life this isn’t an act!” Inuyasha’s voice held a defeated tone as he stepped towards her. 

“Inuyasha, if you touch me right now, I could kill you right now. Just give me a bit.” Kagome scrambled to stand up, standing defensively as she backed up away from him. 

He continued to walk towards her. He wouldn’t touch her if she didn’t want it, but he was compelled to be at least closer to her. Kagome wasn’t terrified of him advancing, he could smell that much on her scent. It was just anger. 

Seeing him continue his advance, her fight-or-flight kicked in. If he wasn’t going to listen, she would make him. She stalked towards him prepared to push him away. “Leave me alone!” Kagome yelled, pushing both of her hands against his chest. The moment her skin made contact, a pink crystalline structure grew out from her hands; a myriad of small crystal shards floated in the air, suddenly surrounding the pair while emitting a faint glow. A look of panic grew on Inuyasha’s face for a split second before a bright pink light enveloped him. He screamed in anguish before dropping to the floor, unmoving. 

“W-what?” Kagome's voice quivered as she looked at her now-normal hands and back down to the now completely black-haired Inuyasha. Why’d his hair color change? Why had his red aura disappeared? “I-Inuyasha?” 

Kagome couldn't tell if he was breathing; she dropped down to her knees, shaking him gently. When she didn't get a response, panic consumed her. She didn’t actually mean she’d kill him; what the hell was that? How? Why? Why’d her ‘powers’ act up then? Tears welled up in her eyes as the realization of what just happened ran through her. Had she just accidentally murdered Inuyasha?

Her thoughts began to recoil against her. Of course, she’d killed the one man who she could touch. The only one who seemed to care about her happiness, about whether she smiled, and about whether she was safe. She had killed her protector. She hadn’t even had the opportunity to try to delve further into these feelings, to feel out what exactly they were, and now she’d never get the chance to. Her abilities would rip away the one person who could have made her happy, potentially forever. Of course she couldn’t have someone to love—her life had made that fact intimately clear. 

“I didn’t mean it,” Kagome whispered, barely audible to her own ears. “Inuyasha...I didn’t mean it.” 

And now she had no one she could talk to about it. She’d discovered Kagura’s betrayal, meaning her therapist was out of the question. Not that she could tell anyone anyway, she was a murderer now. She began to hyperventilate. 

“This is a curse, it isn’t a gift.” Her lower lip quivered as she began to sob into her hands, letting out an anguished wail. 

“What’ya cryin ‘bout?” Inuyasha croaked, stirring back to life. “I’m the one who feels like they got hit by a truck. Fuck.” 

Kagome's eyes grew wide before suddenly dropping her head onto his chest, crying hysterically. “I-I-I thought I k-killed y-you,” Kagome hiccuped into his shoulder, knuckles white from gripping onto his shirt so desperately. She hadn’t killed him. She was so unbelievably relieved that he wasn't dead, but it was replaced with immense remorse. She hadn’t meant to hurt him in the first place. Miroku had told her that youkai were purified and destroyed with reiki as he taught her about her supposed ‘gift’. He neglected to mention to her that half-demons didn’t die, apparently. Kagome had found out the hard way. 

“I’m s-so sorry.” Kagome continued to wail as she clutched onto him, moving up against the wall with him as he pulled his upper half upright. 

“Feh. I’ll be fine. Not my first time being purified. I’ll be back to normal in a few hours.” Inuyasha exhaled exceedingly slowly, trying to get the fading pain under control. Being purified sucked. Horrendously. Every. Time. He’d never get used to the excruciating pain of his youkai half recoiling back to slumber, similar to how it slept on his human nights. Except that was natural, no pain involved. Lucky him. 

“H-how—Why did I purify you?” Kagome studied her hands. “I didn’t know I could do that…” 

“Dunno. Guess I pissed you off enough. Good to know you’ll kill any youkai you get mad at.” He chuckled briefly before he paused, waiting for her to look up at him. He was going to be able to walk around like a normal human in the daytime without the concealment. What a concept. 

Furrowing her brows, she looked up to see Inuyasha wiggling his fingers before he pulled off the pinky ring. When his typical concealment-less appearance failed to return, she looked from the ring to his face as she connected the dots. “You’re actually human? Like--fully human?”

“Unfortunately. Or fortunately if you want to look at it in the way that I didn't get burnt to a crisp from your reiki. I hate my human nights.” Inuyasha grimaced. “I’m weak without my youkai half.” 

“Human nights? I’ve never seen you fully human before?” Kagome mused, taking in his appearance. He looked just like he had when they first met, before she broke his necklace. This was real, though? “Why not? This happens… often?” 

She didn’t let him respond before speaking again. “And you're not weak, Inuyasha. If you’re weak for being human, everyone I know is weak and that just isn’t true.” Kagome huffed. “I just accidentally… zapped the demon out of you!” Emphasizing the statement with exaggerated hand movements. “If you weren’t half-human, you’d be dead!” 

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose, her reassurance didn’t touch hundreds of years of learned disdain for his human nights. Being youkai meant being powerful. Humans could only do so much, especially against demons. “I… guess. It’s different though, I can’t pick up on scents, I don’t know what you’re feeling, I cant use my strength and claws to get us out if something was to go wrong.” 

With a huff, he continued. “To answer your question, I don’t go out. Miroku deals with me whining and stays up with me every new moon. I don’t sleep. Never feel comfortable enough to.” He looked away, blushing slightly. He was such a blabbermouth when he was human. Miroku getting him drunk and getting him to talk was basically a hobby at this point, if nothing more than to get information from him to hold over him when his youkai blood returned in the morning. 

“I meant what I said earlier, Kagome. Don’t you think things would have gone a lot smoother, if Kagura was coaching me?” he asked, searching her face for her realization that yes, if Kagura had helped him, he wouldn’t have given her a panic attack one of the first times they truly interacted in person together. 

Kagome sniffled, managing a watery laugh as she wiped her face with her hand. “Yeah, I guess you guys wouldn’t have messed up so many times.” 

“Miroku, being an idiot and calling me, ultimately letting you guys in on his plan with the pizza? Which for the record, I told him, was stupid.” He leaned his head back and let out a frustrated noise at the memory of arguing with Miroku that night before locking eyes with an evidently pensive Kagome. 

“Seriously, woman, I have never truly given a shit about this job until I met you. Fuck, it’s so far beyond that now—you have no idea.” Inuyasha shook his head. She didn’t have any idea, and whatever ideas she was cooking up in that head of hers were probably nowhere close to the mark of being his soulmate. Especially after everything she’d been through. 

“Kagome?” Merely a soft whisper compared to his confident confession moments before. 

“Yeah?” She looked up at him, her face red and tear-streaked. There were unshed tears brimming up and the ocean blue depths were stark against the redness of her eyes; even though she looked completely done with the day, and maybe done with her life, she was still beautiful to him. Raw, open, exposed, but still, the strong woman who decided to be better than the traumas she experienced. Kagome ultimately didn’t give a shit that he was hanyou, she didn't care about his split heritage and wasn't disgusted by him. While it had been a long time since a typical human saw his youkai attributes, he always expected them to be disgusted with what they saw, but not her. Yet again he was taken aback by the fact that she saw him human, and wasn’t disappointed. She was relieved that being half-demon saved him. 

She was such a kind, gentle person who he witnessed be so attentive and caring to other people, who made sure to let others know how much she loved them. She showed him she cared, and sure he was dead set on protecting her, but that was also his job. He was always so emotional when he was human, the need to tell and explain how he felt about her was overwhelming. Words were words, and he could try to convince her until he turned blue but it wouldn't change that she was apprehensive. He needed to show her—To hell with it. 

Pinching his eyes closed, this new human Inuyasha blurted it out before he could change his mind. “I think I’m in love with you.” 

Kagome sat motionless as she looked at Inuyasha with shock. Her life would never stop being a rollercoaster; ever. “Y-you l-love me?” she stammered, eyes wide as the last remnants of her tears flowed out of them. 

They’d just had their first kiss hours ago, and now he was professing his love? Her brows furrowed as she thought about his words. He loved her. Did she love him? Sure, she felt extremely comforted by his presence, and he was the only guy she’d touched—let alone kissed in years, but they’d only known each other for a few months. Could love happen that quickly? 

She hadn’t hoped for Sango to save her, or Miroku, or even her adoptive father; it was Inuyasha who her mind frantically called out for. She had immediately thought of Inuyasha saving her and was so confident that he would come in and save them. In the short time they’d known each other, she didn’t feel panicky or anxious about being close to him anymore, and the ever-growing need to be around Inuyasha was becoming evident. 

Especially after nearly killing him, the thought of him out of her life was soul-crushing. She wanted him around… well—forever. 

“Y-you don’t gotta say it back; I know you probably don’t feel the same way yet,” Inuyasha quickly added, awkwardly shifting his weight and staring at the ground. A blush had thoroughly spread from the tips of his ears to his toes, if that was possible. 

“Yet?” she squeaked. Kagome was… pretty sure it was something close to love she was experiencing, but the sudden pressure of having to figure it out in this very conversation had her panicking. Meanwhile, he wanted to die. 

“I—Fuck. I’m no good at this.” He looked away, gritting his teeth as he frantically thought of an answer. This wasn’t going well. Why did he say anything about it at all? Should he just tell her they were soulmates and he was a freak half demon whose feelings were going haywire? 

“I just—I think I love you and I want you to have the opportunity to get to know me for me, and not this stupid fucking job, alright?” Inuyasha was at the end of his rope on how to convince her he was being genuine, and let out a defeated sigh. If he wasn’t human, his ears would be drooped down like the pathetic sad puppy he was. This god awful confession of love either worked or it didn't, and from her basically permanently shocked expression he couldn’t tell which way it ended up. He was getting flustered and before he knew it he had asked the one question he’d been stewing about all day. At this point, fuck it, right?

Kagome wasn’t sure how much she wanted to open up to him. She was pretty sure she was experiencing love, but what if she was wrong? It was so soon for him to be so boldly confessing something like this. There was little doubt that she wanted to explore a relationship with him. Yet the hesitation was a sign. A sign that she was terrified to truly open up her heart to another person. He’d be worth it. Kagome’s thoughts focused on that. Inuyasha would be worth it to try to live her life, and she wouldn’t leave him hanging entirely. 

“I definitely care about you too, Inuyasha.” Was blurted out simultaneously with “Can I kiss you?” 

They both stopped and merely blinked at each other for a moment before the pair blushed. This was so much to process in such a short amount of time, but at the very least, she knew she liked kissing him. There would be a long conversation with Sango to discuss everything that had happened today. 

As she thought about talking with Sango, the fresh sting of her therapist being a mole for the great Inu no Taisho sprung up to hit her full force again. She wanted to be comforted, and Inuyasha clearly wanted to do that. 

“Please?” Inuyasha begrudgingly asked, as if he was sure her answer would hinge on how politely he asked the question in the first place. 

Wordlessly, Kagome nodded her head and gave a weak smile at the look of relief that washed over his features. Instantly he closed the distance and captured her lips with his own for the second time in this whirlwind span of 24 hours. She threw her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her, fully encompassing her in a well-needed embrace. 

He’d never get enough of the taste of her lips. He was addicted—hopelessly addicted—after that first kiss and his mind was screaming to taste Kagome damn near everywhere. As if it had a mind of its own, his tongue lightly dragged across her lower lip, begging for entrance. Kagome's returned affections paused before she slowly parted her lips, causing Inuyasha to softly groan as he began to explore her mouth. She was shy at first, lightly skimming his tongue with her own before she became emboldened, wrestling for dominance. 

He couldn’t hear her heartbeat, or detect her scent, but with how she was enthusiastically kissing him back, he didn’t need to. However, while she was thoroughly enjoying the moment, Kagome’s mind raced. What did this mean for her future? Was she in a relationship now? He loved her, but she currently hated his father. She needed to stop thinking. Defiantly telling her brain to shut the fuck up and enjoy the moment, she tried her best to simply focus on the gorgeous man in front of her who was kissing her and making her feel things she hadn’t felt… ever? 

Air. Her lungs were suddenly screaming to breathe, and as much as she didn't want to break the contact she pulled away, shakily taking a deep breath. Briefly looking up at him, Kagome couldn't handle the heat in his gaze, diverting her attention down to her hands while she bit her lip. She wasn’t used to getting looks like that. Like she was his happiness. Uninhibited love burning bright in his cinder grey eyes. 

“I guess Sango really did miss your first makeout session,” Inuyasha teased, catching onto her embarrassment. He was on cloud 9--Nah, something higher than that. 

“Oh. My. God,” Kagome sputtered, covering her face in her hands and shoving her face into his chest. A broad grin spread across Inuyasha’s face as he pressed it into her hair, breathing her in as he held her even tighter. 

“Let’s get you home.”


End file.
